The Noah's Bookman
by Saturnalius
Summary: What if, instead of being sent to the Order to record the secret war between Exorcists and Noah, Lavi was sent to the Noah? Would Lavi stay neutral or lose himself to the Noah as he did to the Order? This is his record. ((Note: I started writing this before the official spellings came out. I prefer to use some of the older spellings of names.))
1. Alias 49: Lavi

"Lavi... Lavi..." The old man frowned. He pulled his hand back and slapped the redhead across the back of his head. "Lavi!"

The redhead rubbed the back of his head, turning around, frowning back at the old man. "Hey, that hurt!"

"Idiot!" he shouted back. "Pay attention! Your name's Lavi now and you're about to observe the secret war between the Noah and the Exorcists."

Noah. He'd heard about them but knew very little. In fact no one really knew much about them. They'd appear throughout history then disappear as soon as they had arrived. They existed alongside history since the biblical Noah had existed within history. But any data about them was unknown. Who they were, what they did, even their involvement was vague at best. But now, he had the opportunity to observe the mysterious Noah first hand. This was great!

Lavi grinned, plastering a friendly smile across his soft features. "Don't worry, old man. I know what to do." Just act friendly and get the necessary information. This'd be a breeze.

…

The two walked into the ornate mansion dressed in less than ornate clothes. Their last record had left them with tears in their rather drab clothes. The two stuck out sorely, but were strangely greeted like nobility by the servants. The servants looked a little strange, as if they weren't human, but Lavi couldn't entirely put a finger on how or why.

"Ohoho~ " The laugh traveled down the stairs and echoed about the foyer. Lavi snapped from his observations of the room to a rather well dressed fat man with a tall top hat and long ears. He didn't look human by any definition of the word. And here Lavi thought he'd seen everything.

"You must be the Earl," Bookman stated strongly, offering a slight bow. Lavi followed suit, with a friendly inviting smile.

This Earl person had to be some sort of importance, Lavi figured, but what, exactly, he wasn't sure. What intrigued him more was how inhuman the Earl looked. The idea was intriguing, something he'd not once considered before.

"Ah, yes, Bookman~ " the Earl chuckled. "Perfect." He turned and shouted suddenly, "Oh, Rhode~ !"

Suddenly behind him appeared a young girl as she walked through the wall at the top of the stairs. She bounced down the stairs then leapt upon the Earl, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him on the cheek. "Are they here, Sennen-ko? Is that them?"

"Ohoho~, so excited, Rhode~ " the Earl grinned. "Show them to their room, dear?"

"Just Lavi," Bookman interjected quickly. "I have business to attend."

"Huh?" Lavi's attention snapped to Bookman. "Whatcha mean, just me?"

Bookman quickly kicked Lavi in the shin. "Don't ask stupid questions, idiot. You're on your own this time. Don't mess up."

Lavi rubbed his shin, frowning. "Yeah, yeah, I gotcha." But he wasn't entirely sure he had it. Lavi had never been on his own for a record. He was still just an apprentice, just a kid really. The old man had always been there to make sure to keep him in line and give him direction on what to do next. He was almost like a crutch really, just a really old, panda-faced crutch.

But before he could say anything more, Rhode flung herself on Lavi. "C'mon, it'll be fun, Bookman~!" She giggled playfully and childlike, picking her feet up as she hung off his shoulders.

He wasn't here for fun. He was here to learn the hidden history. It was all just a job, really, a means to record the most coveted history in the world.

Rhode lead him up an ornate staircase, skipping happily, humming a tune to herself. Lavi'd never heard that tune before, so he tucked it away in his memory. Perhaps it meant something, like a local tune that he hadn't yet encountered. Every tune had a story and an origin.

Rhode then opened one of the doors in the hallway, "This is where Sennen-ko says you'll be staying~."

Lavi gaped. "No waaaay." The room was huge! He had grown so accustomed to staying in small inns or just sleeping outside under the stars. This was much too large for him. He'd seen smaller houses.

She poked him on the nose playfully. "Sennen-ko can be generous, but don't push your luck," she added with a dark expression.

"I'll keep that in mind," Lavi noted. He wanted to meet Noah and learn about them, not parade around with some nobility. Nobility was boring, always prattering on about pointless stuff and dressing up in ridiculously impractical outfits. He preferred to stay among the commonfolk, where they talked about things that mattered.

"Earn our trust and you may get to meet us all~" Rhode added.

Did she just read his mind? Was she one of the Noah?

"Shh~" she held a finger to her lips.

This might prove to be more difficult than anticipated, though he did enjoy a challenge. He had to meet these Noah, not only for the record but to satiate his own curiosity.


	2. A simple game of cards

It had been a seriously long day. He spent the better part of the morning listening to people around town, but one piece of information had caught his ear: people in black coats with silver crosses. Lavi had never encountered anyone like that before, but his best guess was these were the Exorcists involved in the war against the Noah.

So far, the Noah had been less than pleasant. Many of them had threatened his life if he ever talked about them to anyone else. He reassured them that he would only hand his information down to his own apprentice. That was how the Bookman Clan worked. That was how it had always been. He was sworn to secrecy by the Clan.

The only one who he'd met so far who hadn't threatened him was Tyki. Indulging in whatever his heart desired had Lavi curious about what his abilities were. Most likely supernatural and probably frightening, no doubt. But so far, the man had only challenged him to a game of poker, which Lavi proceeded to fail miserably. Even with a perfect memory, Lavi's natural ability to count the cards did him absolutely no good.

Lavi sighed and returned to his book, curled up on a small sofa in the parlor. No one was around so it was a perfect place to simply keep to his book until the nightlife kicked into action. It was from those who indulged in such nightlife that often held the best information about the people in the area. It was possible that they also held more information about these mysterious people in black coats.

Now, the Earl had loaned him a few encyclopedia-sized books from his personal collection, believing this would keep Lavi busy for some time while he sent his Noah out on tasks. But the Earl had no idea how fast Lavi could read, and the Bookman quickly found himself almost done with his last book.

Sensing someone nearby, he suddenly looked up, spotting a very odd pair staring back at him curiously. He'd seen the pair before within the two weeks he'd been with the Noah, one threatened his life while the other simply laughed. Then both simply left and he hadn't seen them again.

The blond with the bugged eyes leaned over the back of the couch, observing the Bookman, cautiously as if he were going to suddenly bite. Lavi simply smiled back at him with his usual inviting and pleasant guise.

The pair frowned then took the guns they usually pointed at each other and pointed them at Lavi's forehead. Lavi's expression remained unchanged, while inside he was shaking like a leaf. He'd nearly lost his life years ago when a stray bullet found its way into his shoulder, but this was another story. He had two crazed Noah pointing their guns at him. Seems this day would be longer than he had hoped.

"What's your deal, Red?" Debitt demanded.

Lavi continued to wear a pleasant smile. "I'm simply here to record history."

"You better not be lying, heee," Jasdero added.

"I'm a Bookman," Lavi replied, "a neutral historian here to record the unwritten history."

"That's it?"

"That's it." It was the truth, probably the only bit of truth Lavi had really told. He had no reason to tell these people anything about himself or his past. That was his own record, no one else's. No amounts of questioning would ever get him to tell his records. Only the Clan and his potential apprentice would ever know.

"The Earl has a task for you two."

"Huh?" The pair turned to find Tyki standing behind them with one hand on either shoulder. They frowned, glared at Lavi then promptly left. Those two had the Bookman incredibly curious. They didn't seem like Rhode and Tyki one bit. Those two seemed more like noblemen, but these two acted like common thugs. They also seemed to act in unison, as if one knew what the other was thinking. He didn't even know their names.

"They're always like that," Tyki sighed, pulling off his gloves then tucking them into his pocket. He stared at Lavi for a moment before moving to sit down across the coffee table from him. He always felt like he was being watched. Tyki had heard about legends of the Bookman, but this one was definitely not what he had expected. Bright red hair, one curious green eye, and a constantly pleasant demeanor. Who was he really?

"How about a game of cards?" Tyki offered, pulling a black and white checked deck from his pocket. It was the same deck he had used to challenge Lavi on their previous meeting.

The Bookman smiled. "Sure," he replied pleasantly.

Obviously this Lavi didn't know how tricky Tyki was. He was a cheater. He stacked the deck, hid cards, and generally cheated altogether. He played dirty and played to win. With a placid grin drawn across his face, Tyki shuffled the cards then dealt both a hand. His golden eyes fixed on Lavi as the Bookman picked up his hand and studied it.

Lavi's expression remained unchanged despite the pathetic hand he'd been dealt. But there was a little hope in this hand. He had one pair, so perhaps if he drew more cards, he'd be able to get better cards and win before they revealed their hands. Last time, Lavi wasn't entirely sure how to play the game, but this time he was prepared.

Tyki's fingers tapped the cards in his hand. "What brings you here, Bookman?"

Lavi rearranged his hand as he drew a card. "To record history."

Tyki wasn't quite satisfied with that answer. "What _really_ brings you here?"

"History," Lavi repeated, discarding a card. His hand was still terrible.

Tyki frowned, picking up another card. Well at least it looked like he picked a card. He was cheating, of course, drawing only the best cards. "That's it?"

Lavi nodded, his emerald eye fixed on Tyki. Lavi wanted to see how this Noah played cards. He suspected Tyki was good, but was he lucky too?

Tyki discarded a card, glancing back at Lavi. "Is that all you Bookman are interested in?"

"Essentially," Lavi replied. His personal agenda did not exist. He was a Bookman, a nameless historian. He threw out his true self long ago.

"All you do is record history?" Tyki asked, tapping his cheek with his fingers. He was genuinely curious about this creature that sat in front of him. There was much more to this Bookman than he was letting on, and Tyki wanted to know what it was. He was the most interesting human Tyki had ever come across.

Lavi nodded once again, discarding yet another pathetic card. "I've dedicated my life to it."

"Everything?" Tyki inquired, legitimately picking up a card from the top of the pile to make it appear he's not cheating.

"That which is not written," Lavi replied simply. "The Noah have eluded history for centuries. That's why I'm here, to learn the unwritten history."

He sure was stubborn, unchanging in his answer. This Lavi was more mysterious than he thought. He'd get into his mind eventually. "Call." Smirking, Tyki presented the cards in his hand. "Straight flush."

He was good. Lavi's hand was terrible when he presented it. "One pair." Still the same pair he started with.

Tyki gathered his cards then reshuffled them. "Care for another round?"

Lavi grinned as usual. "Sure." He was curious how Tyki was always able to get the best hand every time. The man had to be cheating but Lavi hadn't any clue as to how.

Tyki dealt another hand, and despite Lavi's expression, his hand was once again pathetic.

"I'm interested in hearin' more 'bout this Noah ability'a yours," Lavi spoke, drawing another pathetic card.

"Oh?" Tyki drew a few cards and discarded some in return. "Call." He laid out a royal straight flush.

Lavi stared, his expression shifting to surprise for the first time since they started. His hand was just simply one pair, just like the previous round. "You're cheatin', aren't ya?"

"Quite the accusation, Bookman." Tyki gathered the cards and offered the pile to Lavi. "Here, shuffle. I can't stack the deck when you've shuffled and cut it."

He had a point. Lavi shuffled carefully. "Now these abilities of yours."

"I'll show you, if you can win a round," Tyki smirked.

"Deal," Lavi agreed, dealing out the cards and placing the remaining deck between them. He picked up his hand, quickly memorizing the cards, then quickly watching Tyki. The Bookman was certain Tyki was cheating. Silently Tyki drew his cards without any funny business. Lavi drew his card and only for a brief second, he took his eyes off his opponent. It was that brief moment that Tyki craftily exchanged the cards in his hand, cheating and giving himself the best possible hand.

Lavi discarded, and Tyki drew. "Call." He laid out another royal flush.

Lavi frowned at his hand. A pair. "Another round."

"As you wish~" Tyki smirked. There was no way the Bookman would be able to pay attention to both his hand and Tyki's at the same time. The next rounds all went the same way, Tyki with a fantastic hand and Lavi lucky if he got even a pair.

"It's getting late," Tyki sighed, gathering up the cards. Lavi hadn't even come close to winning a single hand. He stood up and tucked the cards into his suit jacket, then began to leave the room, but as he left, he stopped at the sofa. "I'll tell you one thing, Bookman."

Lavi looked up at Tyki, his green eye fixed on the Noah curiously.

"The entire game," Tyki informed his redhead opponent, "I cheated."


	3. Tea with the Earl

Lavi sat uncomfortably in the tea room. He'd been with the Noah only two weeks, and already they'd made him feel incredibly unwelcome. Tyki was the only Noah who hadn't threatened his life. He seemed to be older than the rest, perhaps more reasonable as well. His manners matched the Earl and Rhode, giving off the air of a formal gentleman. However, like the rest of the Noah, Tyki was so incredibly secretive, Lavi got nothing from him.

On his previous records, Lavi had always been able to charm his way into people's hearts, able to easily obtain any information from them. He had a way of speaking to people simply and causally, that always got people talking. It was a mannerism he'd developed and refined throughout his studies as a Bookman's apprentice. However here, that technique wasn't giving him any sort of advantage. He'd have to discover some way to gain their trust and gain information that way. He might have to bend the rules…

Old man Bookman would know what to do. Why did he have to leave? He could have at least said where he was going or when he was going to return. Instead he simply kicked Lavi to the curb, leaving him to fend for himself. Lavi needed advice and he simply had nowhere to turn. He'd have to wing this record.

"Have some tea, Lavi~ "

The redhead looked up to find someone sitting across the table from him. He looked human, but in this house, Lavi wasn't sure anymore. He also wasn't sure when exactly this man had made his way into the room and sat down without Lavi even noticing. The man looked rather ordinary. His features were soft, his hair pulled back into a ponytail. He wore a top hat and a tailed suit that looked remarkably like the Earl's usual attire, though he looked considerably less rotund. He even sounded just like the Earl. Was it possible he actually _was_ the Earl?

"Millennium Earl?" Lavi blinked stupidly.

A wide grin spread across the other's face. Lavi never thought a human face could contort in such a manner. "Ohoho~ " he chuckled lightly.

It was him, but how? The Earl was a rotund man with long ears, small glasses, and an incredibly tall top hat. The man who sat before him was seemingly human. Then again, nothing was really as it seemed in this house.

"How?" was the first thing which popped into the redhead's mind. A stupid question, really. The surprise had caused him to momentarily drop his cheery persona for a brief moment.

This Bookman was quite intelligent. The Earl knew that the Bookmen were a crafty sort of humans, nothing like the rest of the rotten humanity out there. They stood apart from the rest of society, pushing themselves away from the influence of humanity, simply observing the workings and history of the world. The Earl had heard of the Bookman Clan for generations but had never once met one in person. He still wasn't certain how they found him. Then again, they were crafty.

"There are many secrets my Noah and I possess~" the Earl admitted, taking a sip of tea. Lavi stared at the Earl intently. This was what he wanted to know. "But all in time, Bookman~ " he added with a smile.

Foiled. Lavi really would have to work for his answers. This record would be more of a challenge than he thought, and he had to rough it out alone. There was a strange emptiness which sat heavily in his heart since the old man had left. It panged and bothered him, and Lavi just hadn't been able to shake it. Why had the old man just left him without a word? He was coming back, right?

No, he couldn't think of things like this. He was a Bookman. He had to remain emotionless.

"Do you know our purpose, Lavi?" the Earl grinned.

The redhead shook his head. "Can't say I do." The Noah were an enigma, dotting history mysteriously for the last few millennia. They seemed to disappear as quickly as they'd arrived. They'd even managed to elude the Bookman Clan. And yet here, relatively early in his Bookman career, the young apprentice was sitting in front of their leader, having tea with him as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

"To put an end to corruption and wars," the Earl stated. "I'm sure you've seen many wars in your time, Bookman~ "

To end all wars? Was that even possible? How was he planning on accomplishing such a grandiose feat, if he wasn't simply blowing smoke and lying? If there was one thing Lavi hated, it was wars and the corrupted people involved in it. He'd seen countless wars in his previous 48 aliases and had come to hate them. Wasn't there more to history than just wars? Without war, there would be the opportunity to observe more interesting and secretive histories. He could learn more about secret societies, secretive alliances, maybe something even he'd not thought possible.

"The Order wants to stop us~" the Earl added. "They believe they've been sent by God. They even call their weapons Innocence~"

Lavi knew so little about the Order. They wore black coats with silver crosses. That was about as far as he'd gotten. He knew that they were the opposition to the Noah, but he had no idea the Order was that arrogant. Lavi couldn't stand people like that. He'd seen so many, starting wars over nothing. He hated them the most.

The Earl smirked, finishing off his tea. His work was done here. "Oh and do come to dinner tonight~."

Lavi smiled gently. "Sure, I'd be happy to."


	4. Dinner with the Noah

The Akuma waitstaff was bustling about, and Lavi was quickly shoved out of the kitchen with a fresh cup of tea. Their tea just wasn't as good as what he could make himself, but he just had to settle with what they gave him for now. It was the first time he'd ever been invited to one of the dinners. Normally he sat by himself in the tea room or the library, pouring over books, or ventured about town to listen to the newest rumors about the black coated Exorcists.

Sighing, the redhead made his way into the dining room and took a seat near the foot of the table. His plan was to simply sit back and observe everyone, if it were just more than him and the Earl. Lavi truly didn't know what to expect, but he knew there had to be some form of information that he'd gather here and now.

"Ho~, another family dinner."

Lavi looked up. It was the cheating poker player, Tyki, dressed in a formal suit, his wavy hair pulled back half and half, and someone hanging on his shoulders.

"Oh Tyki! It's not that bad!" Rhode exclaimed, hanging on him, finally peeking her head out from behind his back. "Sennen-ko always has the best food! Huh?" she looked up. "It's the Bookman."

"It is," Tyki agreed, wiggling Rhode off his shoulders.

"What're you doing here, Bookman?" Rhode questioned, leaning on the table. Lavi could now clearly see Rhode was a Noah, the crown of thorns easy to see below her short bangs. Until now, Lavi wasn't certain yet he'd suspected she was.

"The hell's he doin' here?" The words resounded loudly, interrupting Lavi before he could even speak. It was the twins he'd met before, the ones who kept pointing their guns at him while he simply read on the couch. Unlike the rest of the house, those two seemed the most brutish and by no definition friendly.

Their appearance was even more bizarre now that Lavi was able to see them both from the front instead of just their guns. They sure were a pair, with their unusual pants and shirts. They also were pointing their guns at one another. Strange Noah they were.

"Jasdebi! You made it!" Rhode shouted excitedly at the pair.

"Only because we had to," the black-haired one frowned.

"Yeah!" the blonde echoed.

Lavi stared. Tyki leaned against the table. "That's Jasdero, the other's Debitt," Tyki explained, pointing each of them out to him. "This is normal for them," he added with a sigh.

Tyki seemed so cultured. These two were opposite. New people entering the room grabbed Lavi's attention quickly. All of them had the grayed skin, the crown of thorns, and the golden eyes. They were all Noah. He'd seen one of them, the man currently fawning over Rhode, but the others he hadn't. There were more Noah than he'd thought, but how many?

The Earl soon came in, skipping and humming a tune. It was the same tune Rhode had hummed when Lavi first arrived. There had to be some sort of meaning to it. The Earl sure was a strange fellow. He looked kind of like a giant ball with a top hat, somehow staying up straight. He was almost a caricature of a human Earl. "Dinner time~ "

Most of the Noah seemed to simply pick a spot, Tyki next to Lavi, and Rhode next to him. Cyril sat across the table from Rhode, and the other two he hadn't seen before sat on the other side of Lavi. Jasdero and Debitt didn't seem to move but instead whine.

"Sit down~ " the Earl commanded threateningly, though his face seemed to tell another story. Lavi's stomach turned upside down. There was something incredibly creepy about how he threatened those two. And the two seemed to respond in the same manner, slinking over to the table and pouting.

"Good~" the Earl grinned calmly, though Lavi's stomach was still twisted in a knot. "I want everyone to meet our resident Bookman, Lavi~ ."

Lavi offered a friendly smile.

"No fucking way," Debitt leaned over the table. "You're a Bookman?"

Lavi nodded, "Sure am." He wasn't just some human in the Noah's household or a Noah. He nearly stared, however, when he saw what was for dinner. He'd never eaten something so lavish before. Being as he traveled almost constantly, he generally ate whatever he could get his hands on. That usually involved whatever they caught, found, or were given.

"How old are you, Lavi?" Rhode leaned curiously over Tyki, who simply reached through her to get some food.

Lavi nearly missed the question, watching Tyki intently. Did he really just see that or was that some sort of illusion? Lavi wanted to know everything, but it was as the Earl said, in time. Lavi reasoned he needed to gain their trust first. Perhaps a little rare information about himself would help the process along. "I'm 15," he replied.

"So young~!" Cyril exclaimed, rather surprised. "The same age as my darling Rhode~"

"I'm not really 15, papa," Rhode pouted at Cyril. "I'm still the oldest Noah here!"

"So cute~~~" Cyril fawned over her pouting.

Lavi propped his chin on his hand and simply stared for a moment. "No way." He just couldn't see it. He figured Rhode to be the youngest, about his own age even, given her appearance and mannerisms, reasoning Tyki or Cyril to be the oldest. But that wasn't the case at all. Was it all an act?

"It's true, Lavi~" she leaned on Tyki. He seemed so tolerant of her. "Maybe one day you'll see the real me." She held a finger to her lips.

There was more to these Noah than Lavi had ever imagined. He had to gain their trust somehow and learn as much as he could about them. They were all so different than any Bookman could have ever imagined. They each had their own personalities and separate abilities. They all also had the ability to take on a human form and a Noah form. But it was Rhode and the Earl who had him most interested. They weren't as they appeared to be. None of them were.

Who were the Noah really?

….

Once again, Lavi sat at dinner with the Noah and the Earl. He'd met most of them and knew them by name, but more than that, he knew nothing about them. They were more secretive than he was. They didn't seem to trust him, and he didn't particularly trust them in return. They were just ink on the page, after all.

For the past few months, Lavi had been using his location to learn more about the movement of the Order in the area. He knew where three of them were, currently, and they were in the area. He currently knew more about the Order than he did about the Noah.

However he had spoken to the Earl. The Earl told Lavi their mission, to put an end to all wars. The idea was tantalizing. Lavi despised wars and the people who caused them. He felt like he was actually above them, superior to them. The Earl fed into this belief by telling Lavi about their supposed mission. Lavi bought into it.

"There's an Exorcist in the city," Lavi suddenly blurted out.

Most of the dinner guests simply stared, a few gaped.

"Is there really?" Rhode flung herself onto Lavi, who nodded in return.

"What makes you so damn certain?" Debitt scowled across the table

"I've been trackin' the movements'a the Order when I go out into the city t' learn more 'bout them," Lavi explained. For once it was the honest truth, something he said so nonchalantly that most of the Noah had a hard time digesting what he'd just said.

"And you're just giving us the information?" Tyki gaped.

"I've decided I wanna share what I know," Lavi replied. It wasn't often that either he or Bookman actually shared their knowledge with the people around them, but right now, it was absolutely necessary. A wise decision or not, this was wholly Lavi's, driven by his desires to end wars and offer to learn the most tantalizing stories in history. And Bookman wasn't here to tell him no.


	5. Hobo

Only a week had passed since the dinner with the Noah where he suddenly admitted he knew where Exorcists were in the area. It was an intentional admittance, one which he hoped to gain the trust of all the Noah and the Earl. So far, he'd been picked on quite a bit by them. Rhode loved to tease him. The twins threatened to kill him. And Tyki had cheated him at cards. Several times. They hadn't said anything since that dinner, but they seemed to look at him slightly differently (with the exception of the twins); perhaps with a slight curiosity. They knew little of what a Bookman was, other than a historian of the secret world.****

The Earl gave Lavi money for traveling, and Lavi decided to venture away from the mansion for a bit. It was his first time since arriving that he'd left the city. The locals did like to chatter, but they often spoke of mundane things. It was the non-nobles, the ordinary people, who spoke the most and had the best information. While there were poor within the city, he decided to travel out a bit farther.

On the outskirts of the city, Lavi caught word of Exorcists taking a train south to Portugal. With plenty of money in his pocket, Lavi decided to follow them. There were three in this group, different from the one he heard was in the city. He was a ways behind the Exorcists, so finding where they stopped exactly would be difficult, but Lavi was crafty.

Lavi sat on the train seemingly buried in a large book. He dressed down, wearing his usual black shirt and looser brown pants. The pants had been through quite a bit, a bit ragged and worn. He wore his usual black boots but they were hidden by the pants. He'd also wrapped himself in the cloak he first arrived in at the start of this alias, which was reddish in color, save for two white stripes down one side.

Despite reading, Lavi could hear the passengers chatter about. He was in the lower-class train which was relatively crowded. Lavi claimed a corner in the back, but he could still hear everyone quite clearly, picking out individual conversations and voices. Most of the conversations were pointless and useless, chattering on about visiting family or returning home. The only consistent mention was of a mining town called Kirilenko in Portugal, nothing distinct about it other than one mention of people in heavy black coats, which was contradictory to the currently warm weather in the area. It was probably an old report, the Exorcists long since gone, but Lavi decided to visit anyway.

As soon as he'd stepped off the train, it hit him. There was an overwhelming scent of coal in the air. There were other minerals present, but coal was definitely the most prevalent. The Bookman rubbed his nose then continued walking down the main street. The town was a typical mining town, filled with working class people and their working class businesses. The buildings were pretty typical for the area, nothing notable about them.

Lavi listened, silently observing everyone around him as he walked. Nothing stood out, nothing of importance, at least. Workers talked about the mine. Some talked about the pay or lack there of. Others talked about miscellaneous mundane topics like food and getting married and how well they slept last night. Same boring conversations it seemed until Lavi picked out a nearby voice. A very distinct voice.

_"I brought you something from my other job, Eeez."_

That was very distinctly Tyki's voice_,_but this was hardly a place he'd expect the formal Noah to be in. Lavi glanced in the direction to find a rather ragged-looking man, short wavy black hair wearing large glasses. He sat with a blond kid wearing a mask over his mouth (probably sick from the coal in the air), another man with a knit cap, and the fourth man with short brown hair with a rather poor cut. Not a single one of them looked like Tyki, but one of them had his voice.

"Thanks," the boy said. Lavi couldn't see what he was holding, but the boy was holding it close to himself.

"Be sure to keep it safe," the one with glasses said. Lavi stared for a moment. That hobo sounded exactly like Tyki. He was dressed in something Tyki would never wear: a white shirt, beat up brown pants, and suspenders. He smoked a cigarette and was rather unshaven.

"Say, let's play cards," the man with the knit cap offered. "You got the cards?"

The hobo nodded, pulling a deck from his pocket. The back of the cards were black and white diamonds and looked pretty worn.

"Mind if I play too?" Lavi approached the group with a friendly and inviting smile. He had to figure out why this hobo had the same voice as Tyki. He had plenty of time to stalk the Exorcists. This hobo had caught his attention.

"This isn't a kid's game," the man with the bad haircut shot back.

Lavi laughed it off then pulled two silver coins from his bag. "How 'bout now? Can I play?"

The four stared at Lavi; the hobo nearly losing his cigarette. "Don't be hasty, Clark," the hobo scolded. "Come, join us." He offered up a single silver coin as a counter wager. The other two didn't have anything to wager but knew they didn't need it. The hobo would win anyway. He was really good at this game. "That's all we have."

Lavi felt he had the advantage right now. He was capable of counting cards and observing even the smallest movements of his opponents. These were ordinary people in front of him; at least that's what he believed. "Keep your money. I'm only after information."

"It's a deal then," the hobo grinned, shuffling then cutting the cards and dealing each a hand, save Eeez, who watched silently. The hobo knew very well what the redhead was capable of doing, and he planned to use it against him.

Lavi looked at his hand. A pair. This was starting out well already.

A few rounds went by. Lavi watched his opponents carefully, only looking away briefly to deal with his own rather pathetic hand. He was having trouble matching anything. The cards he received he simply didn't expect. The deck was against him.

"Call," the hobo said, presenting his royal flush. The other two didn't have as good of a hand, but they had a better one than Lavi's pitiful pair.

The Bookman frowned. "Are ya cheatin'?"

"That's pretty harsh," the hobo protested, pushing up his sleeves to show he had no hidden cards.

Lavi considered for a moment that maybe he was just really unlucky. He pulled two more coins from his pocket. "'nother round."

The hobo shrugged and dealt another round. More money for him. Yet another round Lavi was cheated out of his money. He had a pair while the hobo once again had an amazing hand. Lavi figured the guy was stacking the deck but there was more to this cheating. He just couldn't figure it out. The hobo sounded like Tyki, even cheated like Tyki, but he just didn't look or act like him at all. Baffling.

"Looks like I'm out then," Lavi shrugged. He had more money to bet, but he had no chance of winning. He'd ask Tyki about it later, but since that Noah was such an enigma, the chance of getting the answer was as good as winning a poker game against him.

"Better luck next time, Red," the hobo grinned, waving him off.

…

Lavi shoved his hands into his pockets. He was out four coins and still didn't have any answers as to who that hobo was. The Bookman paused when he saw a very rotund figure before him, carrying a laughably small umbrella. "Earl."

"Ohoho, Lavi-pon~ " The Earl grinned ear to ear. "What a pleasant surprise!"

"Yo," he offered the Earl a cheerful wave. "Sure wasn't expectin' t' see ya here either."

"I'm waiting for Tyki-pon~ " the Earl said.

"I told you not to call me that."

Lavi peered around the Earl to see the hobo approach, one hand in his pocket, the other holding his cigarette as he took a long drag. "No way," Lavi marveled. "It _is_ you."

"Huh?" Surprise was barely visible through Tyki's thick glasses. "You knew then?"

"I was pretty sure that was you," Lavi replied. "The voice was identical, but I couldn't figure out why ya looked so different."

"So observant~ " the Earl noted, placing his hands on Lavi's shoulders.

"I don't forget anything I see or hear," Lavi offered. So far, he hadn't offered any information about himself. Normally he would be wholly against the idea, preferring to become an enigma, but this record was different. If he wanted to the Noah to trust him more, he'd simply offer up a bit of information every now and again to keep the communication flowing.

"Crafty," Tyki noted. He knew the Bookman was observant but he didn't know he was _that _observant. It was impressive. He didn't seem very human with some of his abilities. As Lavi was curious about Tyki, Tyki was also very intrigued by the Bookman.

And since the Bookman had offered up some information, Tyki would offer some in return. "I enjoy my human side," he offered. "There's a thrill in living both human and Noah lives."

_A thrill?_ That was an interesting choice of words, Lavi noted. This Tyki would be an interesting subject. Even more interesting was that the Earl let Tyki indulge himself with a human life. From what Lavi had so far known, the Earl hated humans, as did the Noah. And yet here Tyki was, living among them like a hobo. How odd. Lavi had to know more, but if anything, he knew that he would learn 'in time', whenever that was.

"Now, for important matters," Tyki changed the subject. "I'm starved. Let's eat."

"You can't go to dinner like that~" the Earl countered, offering Tyki his usual top hat.

"I know, I know." Tyki brushed back his hair and placed the top hat properly on his head. It was the first time Lavi had seen someone transition between human and Noah, the fastest quick change in history no doubt.

"Good, now let's go~" the Earl said cheerfully. "Lavi-pon, Tyki-pon "

Tyki sighed. "I told you to stop calling me that."

…

**Author's notes:**

**It is very important to note that the Exorcists Lavi is following on the train are not Allen and Krory (like in the manga/anime). This takes place over a year and a half before Allen even joins the Order. It's actually Kanda and his team, but at this point, Lavi doesn't know who they are, and the Order doesn't know who he is either.**

**Tyki's bffs are apparently Eeez (who we know), Momo, and Clark. I couldn't find any references to which was Momo and which was Clark, so I made it up.**


	6. A formal Noah occassion

Rhode spun around in her dress. It was a new one Cyril had bought for her, sporting a multi-tiered skirt and many ruffles.

"Oh~~! You're so cute!" Cyril squealed in absolute delight.

Rhode simply giggled then she spotted the redhead across the room. She leapt forward, clinging to his waist. "You're so cute, Lavi!"

"I feel ridiculous," Lavi retorted. The Bookman had never worn anything quite like this. A black formal jacket with notched tails over a white collared shirt and black pants and formal shoes. His hair was down for once, falling in his face. His eyepatch and earrings contrasted the entire formal appearance, as well as his lack of a bow tie, since he had no idea how to actually tie one.

Cyril blinked, almost gaping at Lavi with his rather gaunt face. "Have you never worn something like that before?"

Lavi shook his head. "I'm a Bookman, not nobility. We travel all over the place. How do I tie this?" He held out the bow tie at Cyril.

Cyril gaped and nearly fainted.

"Here," Tyki stepped forward and tied the bow tie with ease.

"Tyki!" Rhode exclaimed, now clinging to his waist. "You came!"

"You know how the Earl likes us all to be there as a family," Tyki replied, no enthusiasm in his words, quite opposite of Rhode. She seemed to really enjoy the idea of a formal occasion. For Lavi, this was a chance to observe the Noah family in a more human situation. He found it a bit strange that the Earl would host such a thing, given his apparent distrust for humanity.

Lavi shifted uncomfortably in his shoes. He was so accustomed to wearing boots, but these noble shoes were incredibly uncomfortable. It was very fortunate that this sort of thing wasn't common. "I'm not sure how I'd fit into this. I don't exactly look like I'm related." Lavi wasn't officially part of the family. He'd been with the Noah over a year now, slowly making his way into their hearts, first as a means to get information from them, but Lavi began to lose himself, his heart slowly warming up to the family. Most of the Noah accepted him as a human sibling. In fact, Tyki was the closest to him, almost possessive of Lavi at times. Rhode was no better.

"No, you look so different," Rhode agreed. The entire family had black hair and dark eyes. Lavi, on the other hand, had bright red hair and emerald green eyes. Well, eye, since only one was ever active.

"The Earl has given you a guise," Tyki offered, "a distant cousin from the Far East."

"Oh that sounds exotic!" Cyril exclaimed.

"I don't exactly look like I'm from the Far East," Lavi frowned.

"They don't know that," Tyki smirked.

The company didn't seem very smart, but then again, Lavi didn't have high hopes for nobility. However, this alias would be simple. Lavi knew several East Asian languages. "Yasashi sugiru na."

The trio gaped at him.

"I'm multi-lingual," Lavi explained with a shrug. It was common among Bookman. In fact, Lavi knew about 20 different languages, although English was the one he commonly spoke. Languages were simple for someone who could simply pick up a few dictionaries and grammar books and memorize them all quickly and easily.

Lavi leaned against the wall, watching the people spin and twirl about in an organized fashion. He had never attended anything of this sort, so he simply kept to himself. It was better this way. He was an observer, after all. And that worked for him, until Rhode bound over to him and dragged him out into the crowd.

"Dance with me," she demanded.

Lavi simply stared in return.

"Lemme show you~" she said. Reaching up, she touched his forehead, planting the images of dancing into his mind. Normally he would simply pull back before she had a chance, but she was so quick that he didn't have a chance to object. Besides, she wasn't pushing around in his mind. He knew only vaguely what she was capable of and wasn't about to subject himself to her power just to understand it.

"Easy, right?" she grinned innocently back at him.

Well if he was going to keep up the guise of being related, he would certainly have to blend in. It was only a few measures before the song ended and the crowd began to disperse a little. Thank goodness.

Several girls closer to his age approached Rhode. "Who's this? I've never seen him before."

Lavi attempted to escape but was quickly yanked back. Rhode wasn't about to let him leave. He was hers for the time being.

"This is my cousin from Edo!" Rhode said excitedly. "Say hi, Lavi~"

Plastering on a sweet smile, Lavi began to play the part. "Yoroshiku," he said with a bow. "Nice to meet you all." Lavi was an excellent actor. He'd had years of experience playing various different roles and identities, 49 to be exact, some of which he enjoyed, some of which he did not. It was whatever the Clan had given him to become. They gave him the masks and identities and he simply molded himself to them.

The girls fanned themselves. "So exotic!" they exclaimed. Tyki was right. It was easy to sway them into believing he was a foreigner. They didn't seem to bright. "Say something else!"

"Soto ni chiizu ga furimasu yo~ " Lavi said, continuing the guise of a cultured Japanese nobleman. The girls fawned over him. He smiled then excused himself for a drink. Thankfully, Rhode allowed him to go.

"Enjoying yourself, are you?" Tyki asked, smirking, taking a sip of wine.

"Not really," Lavi said flatly, picking up a glass of water in an ornate wine glass.

"What did you tell them?" Tyki asked, somewhat curious. "You had them swooning over you."

"It's raining cheese outside," Lavi replied nonchalantly.

Tyki nearly choked on his wine. "Did you really?"

"They don't understand a word'a Japanese," Lavi smirked. "I could say anything t' them really."

Tyki was amazed. Lavi had a strangely twisted side to him he'd never seen before, and Tyki really enjoyed seeing it. But Tyki also had his own twisted side. He pushed Lavi unsuspectingly at a young girl dressed in orange, her blond hair up in curls. "Miss Laura, why not take my cousin for a dance?"

"L-lord Tyki!" she stammered. "I-if he'll have me as his dance partner..." She blushed profusely.

Lavi glanced over his shoulder at Tyki with a rather displeased look. Tyki simply smirked back. Like Rhode, Tyki liked to tell Lavi what to do, but in return Lavi got Tyki to tell him pretty much anything.

Lavi turned back around, plastering a friendly smile across his face. "Shall we?" he offered his hand for her to take. Thankfully the images Rhode had placed in his mind helped him get through a song without tripping on his own feet.

Lavi leaned up against the wall, escaping the fawning ladies. Tyki leaned against the wall next to him, sipping on wine once again.

"Ya owe me for that one, Tyki," Lavi stated sourly.

Tyki laughed. "It seems I do."

"Where the hell is the hard stuff?"

That line could only mean one thing: the twins were here. Lavi had never seen either of the twins in their white forms, not to mention even dressed nicely. They usually had a sloppier style than himself. And as usual, they were making quite the commotion.

"Great, why are they here?" Tyki sighed. "They should be out on a mission."

Lavi simply stared. He still didn't quite understand them.

Rhode angrily grabbed the collar of Debitt's shirt, pulling him down to her height. "If you mess up the party, I will make your life a living hell." She glared at him intently.

Debitt blinked then surrendered quickly, dragging Jasdero, who was busy gnawing on finger food, out of the room.

"This is why they're never invited to these things," Tyki sighed.


	7. Finders Keepers

Elysee. It was a quaint little town outside Paris. Wind blew over the hills and through his red hair as he looked out over the town. It was a quiet town, or so it seemed. Lavi knew the Earl was quite well seated in the town, and the Bookman was there to observe the happenings of the town and talk with the people.

He headed into the town, a mission on his mind. The people there seemed to pay him no mind despite his bright hair and unique appearance. He simply slipped about the town, poking into shops and memorizing their positions. He picked up on a few conversations, one which had caught his attention quite well.

The redhead tapped his chin thoughtfully, leaning on the railing of a café. Smiling at two diners, they quite eagerly gave him information about the small team of Exorcists who had been in the town about a day prior to his arrival.

"There were three of them, two in black and one in white," stated the girl as she swirled her champagne around in the glass in her right hand.

The man nodded. "They arrived, traveled to the hill last night then promptly left this morning." He pointed towards a rather forested hill not too far down the road.

He'd just missed them. "Thanks," Lavi said with a smile then turned toward the hill the man had indicated and jogged down the road. For a split second, he turned to listen to a couple speak of a statue called the Dawn Goddess. What a strange name. As he pondered it, he wasn't exactly watching where he was going and collided with someone quite sharply. Lavi rubbed his head and looked up to find a young guy, dark black hair in a long white coat with lots of zippers and a backpack. Could it be this was the Exorcist's teammate in white? It was strange for one of them to leave a teammate behind, but then again, Lavi didn't really trust the Exorcists. Most of what he'd heard about them was mostly negative.

"Sorry 'bout that," Lavi apologized, standing up and offering a hand and a bright smile to the kid, who groaned and rubbed his head, then promptly took Lavi's offered hand.

"That's alright," he smiled back at Lavi. "I'm Doug."

"Doug, nice to meetcha."

The Bookman's attention snapped up to find a sole Akuma staring them both down. To them, he was just another human to kill, no different from anyone else. Until now, Lavi had been quite effective at evading them. Today was another story.

Doug turned around and let out quite a shriek. "Lavi, go down that alley! I'll distract him!" Lavi didn't have a chance to say object before Doug took off down the street, not that Lavi would really have objected anyway. The redhead quickly ducked behind a stand, blending in with the surroundings. The Akuma hurdled past, following Doug with killer intent.

Oh well, there went the white-coated kid. He probably wouldn't survive. Lavi shrugged, reemerging from the alley, observing the people skitter about, distraught by the sudden arrival of the Akuma. Many scurried about, still panicked by the sight but the streets did soon calm down and that's when Lavi made his move. He stepped away from the wall of the building to ask some of the people about the statue he'd heard about before bumping into Doug.

The sun was beginning to set, and Lavi headed towards the hill with the statue. 'Dawn Goddess', someone called it. 'It can bring people back to life', said another. It had him incredibly curious. Not to mention it did sound like the Earl's handiwork. The redhead traversed the pathway in the dim lighting, only lit by the full moon, but his trek was interrupted by the sound of someone crying ahead of him. Something was going on.

Lavi rushed up the hill and discovered Doug hunched over a small body, wailing miserably. "COLLETTE! PLEASE BRING HER BACK!" How unfortunate. A child caught in the crossfire. Too many times had Lavi seen this happen. It was getting old and only seemed to fuel his dislike for people in general.

And now Doug was kneeling there, groveling to a statue. Quite the ornate statue it was, seemingly glowing in the moonlight. It matched the description the townspeople had offered him accurately, and Lavi guessed that was the reason Doug was drawn to it. The legends that the Dawn Goddess would bring someone back to life. That child must've meant the world to him.

Lavi watched them flatly and emotionless.

A large figure seemed to appear from the darkness, happily skipping about in a tall top hat with a small umbrella. He appeared to have a halo around him with the moonlight shining behind him. "I can bring her back for you. Ohoho~ "

Doug looked up hopefully. "She shouldn't have died! She doesn't deserve this." His words were barely audible between the sniffles and tears that had welled up in his eyes.

"Ohoho, of course~." The figure looked up, his eyes seemed to reflect the moonlight somehow, despite not being within the light at all. He beckoned Lavi forward. "Come, Lavi. You do want to see this, don't you?"

Lavi wasn't entirely sure what the Earl was about to do, but he wasn't about to deny the offer either. The Earl revealed information to the Bookman when he felt it was fit to do so, often ignoring the redhead's many questions. After nearly two years, Lavi learned to never take an offer for granted. After all, he wouldn't want to miss an opportunity to see what the Earl really could do. The man was an enigma. Anything was useful information.

And on top of that, it was most likely safer to be standing next to the Earl than behind his target.

Doug twisted just a bit, peering over his shoulder, his face puffy from the sobbing. "... Lavi?" It was difficult to discern his expression accurately, between the darkness and the sobbing, but Lavi placed it somewhere between embarrassment and confusion. Doug watched as Lavi emerged from the shadows and took his place slightly behind the Earl.

"Are you ready?" the Earl inquired of the white-coated boy.

Doug nodded. "Yes," he replied between sniffles, "her body's already getting cold." He held onto her hand gingerly. Now in the light, Lavi could see the wounds were still fresh. The child hadn't been dead very long. Doug almost reluctantly offered her body to the Earl, but if it was the only way to save her, he'd have to do it.

The Earl produced a skeleton, dark and solid in appearance. "Now all you have to do is call her name, bring her soul to you in her new form." He grinned ear to ear with quite the alluring smile.

Doug bought straight into his words. All he could think about was bringing the girl back. "COLLETTE! Please come back!"

Immediately, a white stream of light poured down from the sky and into the skeleton, Doug's voice called Collette's tiny soul forward, ripping it from its resting place back into the world of the living. Lavi watched the spectacle in amazement, and the Earl watched, completely pleased with the situation.

The body ripped itself from the frame and approached Doug. "... Doug...? Why... did you... bring me... back?" She sounded sad and forlorn, wishing she had been left alone.

"Collette!" Doug shouted, quite distraught with her sad tone. He reached forward lovingly, inviting her into his arms. She approached him then took his face, pushing the corners of his mouth open with the bony thumbs of her skeletal body.

"Cowette?" Doug muttered, her fingers in his mouth. Quickly she jerked his mouth open to unimaginable proportions, somehow allowing the skeleton of dark matter to simply slip inside with ease, closing the mouth as if nothing had happened.

Lavi's jaw dropped. "Wha...?"

The Earl clapped cheerfully. "Ohoho, how perfect!" He did so love making new toys and this one would be quite useful. "Go to the Order and create havoc~ !"

He turned to Lavi and patted the Bookman on the head. "And that's how Akuma are made~ "

…**..**

**Author's notes**

This is based on DGM Reverse Novel #2. Doug makes a huge impression on Lavi in the novel (he even shows up as one of the ink-people when Rhode is manipulating Lavi's mind), so this is a reverse of that. The novel was actually really good. (One of the other chapters described how the Earl makes akuma, which I've included here). If you can get your hands on a translation, I highly recommend reading all the chapters.

This takes place just before the two-year mark. Things about to get crazy.


	8. A fateful encounter

Two years passed and Lavi was still with the Noah. He'd met every single one of them, learned some of their powers, some history. Whatever they offered, he took and stored away for future reference.. He'd become close to them and began to be unable to distinguish if his smiles were real or fake. He was becoming family to them.

…..

The Noah and Lavi sat at the dinner table, the Earl at the head of the table. As usual, Jasdero and Debitt had gotten into a fight over who got the last piece of turkey while Rhode had simply stolen it from under their noses. Tyki sighed, propping his chin on his elbow. Lulu Bell and Skin Boric were ignoring the entire ordeal. Cyril was too busy fawning over how cute Rhode was. That left Lavi to simply observe the entire fiasco, amused by how strange this family was.

"Tyki-pon~ " the Earl spoke up.

Tyki frowned. He hated that name.

"I have a mission for you~ " The Earl grinned ear to ear. That smile was impossibly large, leaving Lavi to wonder how he actually pulled it off.

The entire table stopped squabbling and perked up.

"Why the hell does he get a mission? Haaa?" Debitt whined, folding his arms and propping his foot up on the table.

"Yeah, why? Why, heeeee!" Jasdero echoed.

"Ohoho~. You two have your own mission~ " the Earl hissed. "You have to locate General Cross~."

Debbit scowled. "That asshole keeps running! I think he's afraid'a us!" He thrust his arms out emphatically, though what exactly he was emphasizing was hard to tell.

"Yeah, afraid!" Jasdero echoed, mimicking Debitt's movements. "Heeee!"

"Find him~ !" the Earl said threateningly, despite the immense grin spanning his face.

"Y-yeah!" Debitt frowned. He sure didn't want to cross the Earl the wrong way.

"Now, Tyki-pon," the Earl continued, resuming his normal, happy tone. "There's an Exorcist I want you to observe. And take the Bookman with you~ ."

A mission? Lavi hadn't been out much with the Noah, only observing them and their powers at their home, but this would be the first time he'd actually see them in full action. Until now, he'd simply been gathering information from the outside, using it to track the movements of the Exorcists and return that information to the Noah and the Earl. He'd never met an Exorcist in person.

But now, he'd have the opportunity to see an Exorcist and observe the other side.

"Stay out of sight," Tyki instructed, adjusting his hat. He didn't want Lavi to get caught in the crossfire. He was one of them, a member of the Noah family. He may not have the genes, but he'd found his way to be a member of the family, earning their trust and respect.

Keeping himself out of sight, Lavi propped himself up against the tree. He watched Tyki phase through them one by one, sneaking up on a girl in a black and silver uniform. An Exorcist. She matched the descriptions he'd heard. Though it was strange; she didn't look much older than himself.

Tyki approached her, and she activated something, her black boots growing up her legs. She attempted to fight him, kicking at him wildly, but Tyki simply dodged her attacks, taunting her as he went. He was after information, after all. Lavi simply stayed hidden in the shadows of the trees, watching the exchange between the two with an observing eye. He was supposedly a neutral party. He had no reason to interfere.

"You're a Bookman, aren't you?"

Lavi turned sharply to find a kid with white hair, wearing an Exorcist uniform. Lavi was silent, observing the kid, his uniform, his stance, the akuma star on his forehead. This was the one Rhode had described, the one she seemed to have a childish crush on. Allen Walker, right? He wasn't like that other Exorcist. There was something different about him. Lavi could tell just by looking at him.

"Are you really with the Noah?" Allen asked.

Lavi unfolded his arms, leaving his fingers near the knife he kept in one of the pouches on his belt. If he had to fight, he might as well make it a good fight. "I am."

"But you're not a Noah?" he asked.

Allen seemed genuinely curious, so Lavi decided to simply answer, observing the kid's reactions and mannerisms to see what he could learn about the Exorcists. "I'm not." His expression remained surprisingly calm, almost friendly. "I'm just neutral party who happens t' stayin' with 'em." And there was the smile, friendly and unthreatening, reassuring that what he said was truth.

Allen smiled in return. He knew that the Bookman wasn't a bad person. They were wrong about him.

But Lavi suddenly drew his knife, snapping it towards the figure that attempted to sneak up on his blindside. Lavi could sense his presence, almost as if he could see on that side.

"Che," the sneaky person scoffed, brandishing his sword.

"Kanda!" Allen shouted, berating the intrusive third party. "We don't need to fight! He's a Bookman!"

"Shut up, Bean sprout!" Kanda scowled, still not taking his eyes off Lavi.

So this was Kanda Yuu. Skin had mentioned this one. He'd seen Kanda when he was searching for the Innocence in the northern regions that had caused odd weather to occur on the mountains. He supposedly had an incredibly short temper.

"It's time to die, Bookman." He put his fingers on the blade. "Mugen, activate!"

Lavi paused. Was this the so-called Innocence he was activating? That sword, was that it? He was curious to know what Innocence was, but to have it used against him was a completely different story.

"Go help Lenalee," Kanda scowled at Allen, who quickly ran off to help her against Tyki. Kanda slashed at Lavi sharply, determined to take his life. The slash had some sort of magic behind it, pushing the attack beyond the blade, digging deeply into Lavi's shoulder. So this was Innocence. It was powerful. It hurt. He could feel blood dripping down his arm. He had to defend himself against this Exorcist. But how?

Lavi jumped backwards, avoiding the next attack, effectively judging it's current range, but unfortunately the range changed for the next attack, and he took a hit to the leg, knocking him backwards against a tree. Pushing his elbow onto Lavi's chest, effectively pinning him to the tree, Kanda held Mugen to his throat. Lavi tried to push back against Mugen with his knife, but one arm wasn't very effective against an Exorcist's weapon.

Kanda was going to take Lavi's life, right there. Lavi's mind whirred in a panic. Why was he so intent on killing him? How did they even know who he was?

But fate wouldn't have it Kanda's way as akuma emerged from within the forest and began to fire at Kanda careful not to hit Lavi in the process. They knew that hitting Lavi would get them in serious trouble with the Noah.

Kanda glared at Lavi then promptly left to fight the akuma. Kanda would be after his life again. There was no doubt in Lavi's mind. Lavi's combative skills didn't involve knowing how to fight an Exorcist. This would be difficult.

"Now that they know you're with us, they'll be after your life," Tyki frowned, taking off his hat and running a hand through his hair as he phased through the trees in the forest. Lavi was a mess, slumped up against the tree, barely conscious. Humans sure did bleed a lot.


	9. More like us

The rain came down in sheets, leaving rather deep puddles on the street. The night was cold, the light from the streetlamps shimmering as it danced off the puddles. It was a dreary night, bleak and dismal.

Pain panged throughout the right side of his body as he ran through the streets. Blood streamed down his arm; water streaked through his red hair. He'd managed to flee the forest but barely with his own life. He couldn't remember how he got here or when it started raining, but he knew he had to run and not look back.

His luck ran thin, however, as he found himself unfamiliar with the city, lost, and in a dead end. He turned sharply to find a tall slender figure with a long thin ponytail, a sharp katana, and a blood thirst for the redhead's life.

"It's time to die, Bookman," he smirked.

Lavi's heart pounded in his chest. He could barely see straight from all the blood loss as it poured out like a red river from his shoulder. He'd never seen so much blood before and wasn't even sure if he had any more to give. He was surprised he was even still standing or even alive, for that matter.

"I'm just an observer," Lavi protested, "there's no need t' fight," but his words fell short on the Exorcist. Kanda Yuu had already made up his mind. Lavi was going to die here.

The Exorcist ran his fingers across his blade, blood thirst in his eyes as his blade glowed. Lavi had nothing to defend himself. He'd dropped his knife in the forest. At some point it had slipped from his hand thoug when that was didn't quite register. The flight from the forest into the city was a complete blur, his mind askew with the pain that welled up within him. He couldn't remember. But how could he not? Lavi'd never forgotten a thing in his life. He prided himself on his memory and it was one of the reasons he was chosen to be a Bookman's apprentice.

And it would be the only thing he'd ever forgotten as the Exorcist drove his sword right through the Bookman's heart, the Innocence pulling at his very existence. Blood streamed down his chest, staining his white pants red. He couldn't breathe, blood dripping from the edges of his mouth. Everything was going black.

_Tyki… Rhode… Where are you?_

The Exorcist put a hand on Lavi's shoulder, pushing him back against the wall. Pain radiated from his chest and down to his fingertips and toes. He wanted to move but he couldn't bring himself to do it. His body wasn't responding.

"Wake up." That was a strange thing for Kanda to say. What did he want? To torment Lavi more so than he already had? Couldn't he just let the Bookman die in peace, hoping one of the Noah came by and gathered his body, maybe even buried him somewhere.

"Wake up." The words rattled around in the Bookman's head. The voice was different, almost familiar. He couldn't put his finger on why, but he knew he had to open his eyes.

Light flooded his one green eye when he finally forced it open. Pain surged through his body, but he was definitely alive. He winced, grabbing for his shoulder only to find a hand on his wrist instead. His focus snapped to the hand, but then to where it lead. A familiar Portuguese face stared back at him. Lavi blinked then noticed another face, worry-stricken, staring back as well.

"You were having nightmares," she informed him.

Lavi stared back at her, still a bit dazed. "What happened?" His voice was trembling. He felt out of control, completely at their mercy. He knew they were allies, perhaps even friends, but his mind was such a wreck he couldn't think straight.

"That Exorcist sliced you up pretty badly," Tyki sighed. The Order came after him pretty quickly but the Noah still didn't know why. It was the first time Tyki'd ever taken him out, so there was no reason for Lavi to be associated with the Noah in the first place. For all they knew, he was just some observer.

"Tyki brought you home when you fainted in the forest," Rhode added, still hanging on Tyki's shoulders.

In the forest? Then the city was the nightmare? That would explain why there was an inexplicable gap in his memory. It just felt so real. That was why he never wanted to sleep. He couldn't. The dreams were too realistic. He couldn't tell dream from reality.

"The Earl brought a doctor in to take care of your wounds," Tyki continued.

The Earl did that? He'd been incredibly hospitable to Lavi so far, but this was far beyond the Bookman's expectations. The Earl appeared to be so demonic, with those long ears and rather rotund body, skipping about in the way he did, humming a mysterious tune. He had every opportunity to rid himself of the Bookman for good, if he so felt, but instead he showed him hospitality.

"You'll be fine," Tyki concluded, finally letting go of Lavi's wrist. "Just get some rest and stop pulling at the stitches."

…

It had been two weeks since Lavi'd been able to get out of bed, but today he felt marginally better. Tea was on his mind at the moment and, bandaged up he made his way to the kitchen, staggering a bit. He was still a bit dizzy for being bedridden for so long on top of the blood loss, but tea would most certainly make him feel better. But Lavi stopped before opening the kitchen door after hearing Rhode's voice. He kept out of sight, leaning against the wall, listening to their conversation from the other side of the door.

"I'm worried about Lavi." Rhode swung her feat under the kitchen table. Frowning she closed the workbook and began to chew on her pencil.

"Ho~?" Tyki took a drag of his cigarette then exhaled slowly. "You're really warming up to him, Rhode."

"So are you," she shot back. "It's like having a little human brother around. Even Sennen-ko seems to like him."

A little brother? Those were the last words Lavi ever expected to hear from Rhode, even more so than being worried about him. For his first year with the Noah, she taunted him. She knew he wanted to know more about her and simply kept it out of his reach, taunting him for her own amusement. She dressed him up like a doll and dragged him around, almost as if she were trying to break him. Lavi simply complied, hoping that one day she'd trust him and open up to him.

And one day, she did.

"He'll be fine, Rhode," Tyki stated. "He's not an ordinary human. He's…" He paused, taking a long drag of his cigarette, pondering a good wording. "He's more like us." It was a strange thought to think a human was like the Noah, but Lavi wasn't at all ordinary. He thought of himself above ordinary humans, better than them, superior. He wasn't one of the lower breeds of humanity. In fact, he was far from it.

They were growing close to him as he was to them. It wasn't simply the lure of the Earl's ultimate goal, the plan to put an end to all wars, which kept Lavi's attention and interest. It was the Noah themselves. They'd started to grow on the Bookman. He'd never experienced a record where the ink felt like real people instead of just players in the acts of history. This record, number 49, was different from the previous. He felt himself getting lost in it, and strangely, he had no desire to stop himself.

"That's a strange thing for you to say, Tyki," Rhode commented, discarding her current pencil for a new one to chew on.

Tyki paused, taking a long drag of his cigarette. "I guess you're right, Rhode. He's growing on me too."

The door creaked, and the two Noah looked up, rather surprised to see the redhead up and walking. He looked a mess, but color had finally returned to his face. "Yo~ ," Lavi greeted them, smiling despite the obvious pain, pretending not to have heard their conversation. They didn't need to know he'd been eavesdropping but perhaps they already knew. "Didn't expect ya t' be here. I'm just after tea."

"I'll get some for you, Lavi!" Rhode leapt excitedly from her seat to retrieve the pot from the counter. She wasn't certain he if he did hear the conversation but maybe it was good that he did. He'd want to stay with them longer.


	10. A birthday to remember

Lavi traced the still rather fresh wound on his shoulders with his fingers in the mirror. It was the first serious wound he'd ever gotten, and it was a nasty one. He stitched it up himself after shooing away the doctors, claiming he was capable of handling the rather grotesque gash, but it still looked absolutely horrendous. To think this wound came from something called Innocence when the blade itself had completely missed his body. This Innocence was a horrible substance, tearing at his soul as it passed through his body. It felt tainted and malicious. It didn't help the one wielding it wanted to take Lavi's life.

The entire encounter still ran freshly through his mind. They knew who he was without a word on his behalf. How that was possible was still a complete mystery. Lavi'd been so careful to sneak around, using aliases, staying relatively unseen, as he went about various cities uprooting information about the Order. He'd even taken care to wear local garb as to not stick out more than usual with his bright red hair. That day was the first time he'd been out with a Noah on a mission, and it had ended in complete disaster. He'd never get to go out again if he was such a danger to the missions.

His heart sank bitterly, as he sighed miserably, pulling on a button-up shirt. It was time to masquerade around as the foreign cousin from the exotic Edo once again.

Today was a special day for Rhode. It was her birthday. Supposedly she was turning 18, but Lavi knew she was much older. How much older was yet another mystery, but he'd find out eventually. The two were growing close pretty fast, and after he nearly lost his life, she'd practically clung to him. It was incredibly nice to feel wanted.

Rhode bounded up to him. "Lavi~!" she exclaimed, preparing a flying leap to his shoulders but suddenly stopped, remembering not to pounce him until his shoulder had healed. She wanted him to join her in her celebrations this year not bleed all over the hallway and have to hastily retreat back to the Earl's.

"Yo, Rhode " he greeted her with a pleasant smile drawn across his soft features. "Happy birthday~"

"Thanks!" She grinned at him, happy he was making it to her party, even if he wasn't wearing something she would have preferred for him. She'd simply have to let him to heal then she'd have fun and maybe dress him up again. He was human and fragile, but still rather hardy to have survived an encounter like that. "I've been wondering, Lavi. When's _your _birthday?"

Lavi blinked. He'd never really celebrated his birthday and never really considered celebrating it either. He'd thrown that away with his original identity ten years ago, along with his real name and origins. All Bookman did. It was simply part of the job. To him, it was just another day like any other.

For the Noah, it seemed to be a different story, particularly for Rhode. Birthdays were a big deal and often involved lavish celebrations as yet another excuse to mingle with the nobility and pass off as an ordinary high-class family. Lavi had successfully avoided the birthday parties so far, but this one he simply couldn't avoid. He only recently had arrived as the cousin and continuing that mask wouldn't be trouble at all. It was the party he didn't really like. He wanted to observe everyone, not be in the middle of it.

"Do Bookman even have birthdays?" Tyki interjected in, suddenly arriving from the opposite direction. He pulled off his gloves and tucked them into his pocket. He was already ready for the party, formally dressed with his hair combed and slicked back.

Lavi shook his head. "Can't say I do." It was the perfect cover at the perfect time.

Rhode pouted, sorely disappointed. "I wanted to have a large party for our Bookman." While the pouting worked on Cyril, it fell flat in front of the Bookman. His birthday would remain secret for now.

In two years, it was the first time Lavi had ever stepped foot in the Camelot estate. His first party had instead taken place in the Earl's mansion. The Camelot mansion looked different than the Earl's and had a rather different feel to it. It felt almost human in many respects. Large paintings, statues, and arts from around the world decorated the hallways and the main entranceway. Well kept plants and flowers dotted the mansion, adding a lively flair and a slight splash of color. The waitstaff greeting the guests were undeniably human, judging by their mannerisms and rather human personalities. It was definitely a human's estate.

Cyril had a whole identity surrounding his white side as a well-known minister with a human wife and Rhode as their adopted daughter. Somewhere amidst the place was a large fluffy dog, or so he heard. In truth, Lavi knew very little about Cyril's Noah side, only seeing his Noah form once, much more accustomed to seeing his white form. Most of his time spent with Cyril, as little as it was, was with Rhode as well. He'd never had the opportunity to chat with Cyril one on one.

The Bookman leaned against the wall. Tyki was out in the crowd, charming the local ladies as he was so adept at doing. Lavi wasn't quite sure if this side of him was a facade or Tyki truly just was that. Cyril was, of course, fawning over Rhode, who was having the time of her life, enjoying cake and dancing. Even the Earl seemed to be having fun.

It was strange. Right now, the Earl seemed human.

"Won't you join in the dancing?" the voice was rather frail and unfamiliar. Her features were soft and kind, incredibly human. Could this was Cyril's wife? She fit what little description he knew quite well.

"You're Tricia Camelot, aren't you?" Lavi turned to her, putting on the air of charm and sophistication. "I'm Lavi " He'd watched Tyki enough to know how to pretend to be a charming high class nobleman without second thought.

"So you're Lavi!" she seemed to perk up on hearing his name. "It's so good to finally meet you! Rhode talks so much about you."

"Sou ka na?" Lavi inquired with a smile. "All good, I hope."

"Always," Tricia commented, laughing delicately when Lavi took her hand. The redhead had watched Tyki enough to learn some of his techniques. "You sure have the same charm Tyki has."

Lavi grinned, but pain suddenly struck his arm, sharply, as if he'd been run through with a spear. A slight wince crossed his features but quickly vanished behind a polite smile. "If you'll excuse me for a moment," he added suddenly, delicately kissing her hand, then quickly turning and walking out onto the balcony.

…

Lavi leaned against the wall, his hand slipped under his jacket, gripping his shoulder. He could feel it bleeding again, but he didn't have any med supplies on hand for a quick fix and unnoticed return to the party. "Dammit…" The pain was intense. He'd never felt anything so sharp and powerful. He was pretty sure he'd popped a stitch but he couldn't see in the poor light on the balcony. He leaned against the wall, attempting to stop the bleeding with pressure alone, unfortunately failing.

"Lavi?" Tyki entered through the door, for once. There were humans about so phasing through the door was very much out of the question. He'd seen Lavi from across the room, amused at how he was charming Tricia, but became concerned with his sudden exit.

Lavi quickly turned away so Tyki wouldn't see the pain twisted across his face. Lavi was a Bookman. He wasn't supposed to feel anything like this, but all he could think about was the physical pain and the anger that went with it. "The wound's opened again."

But with his back turned, Lavi couldn't see the concern on Tyki's face.

Lavi owed his life to Tyki. If it hadn't been for him, that Exorcist would have stolen his life right from under him. "They just attacked me without reason," Lavi confessed. He'd fainted from the blood loss and still hadn't offered Tyki any sort of explanation as to what happened when he'd encountered the Exorcists. He owed Tyki at least something. "'Die, Bookman.' That's all he said t' me before he tried t' cut me in two. No reason. Nothin'. Just die."

"That's how Exorcists are," Tyki explained. "They never offer reasons or have any logic behind their words. They have no other purpose but to destroy us and believe God sent them to do it, too."

"Those Exorcists," Lavi frowned, his hand now completely red from the blood. His shirt hand formed the seal on the wound, effectively stopping the bleeding. That'll hurt later when he has to remove it to re-bandage the wound. "I don't like 'em very much."

"That makes two of us," Tyki sighed, walking over to the balcony edge to lean on the stone railing. He took a long drag of his cigarette, looking out onto the city in the distance. It was a clear night. He could see all the way to the edge of the city from where he stood. "They hate everything about us, and now that you're with us, you'll be targeted too."

Lavi sighed, finally coming over to the balcony's edge. "Gotta be a first. Most people don't even notice I'm there."

Tyki knew little about the Bookman Clan, but what he did know was that they simply stood on the sidelines, observing from a distance. It probably wasn't easy being stuck in the middle. "You're with us now," Tyki took another long drag of his cigarette. "We'll keep you safe." Lavi was practically family, and the Noah family protected its members

Keep him safe. For the first time in is life, Lavi felt incredibly indebted, especially to Tyki. He wasn't sure why the Noah would protect him, unless this was an order from the Earl. Then again, maybe it was because he was becoming family to them. Either way, Lavi owed him his life. "August 10th."

Tyki looked up at Lavi. "Huh?"

"My birthday," Lavi replied. "It's August 10th."


	11. The little black cat

The weather was terrible. Thunder cracked about and the rain poured down in sheets. The wound on his shoulder kept him from going about town. With a stack of large books, the Bookman curled up on the couch in the tea room and began to pour over them. The books the Earl kept were absolutely fascinating, detailing the involvement of the Noah and other mysterious parties throughout history.

Aside from the occasional bustle of the akuma servants, the mansion was incredibly quiet. Tyki was off probably indulging in his human side while Rhode was at school. The twins were off on a mission, and Cyril was off on governmental affairs. The others Lavi had no idea where they were or what they were doing. Skin refused to talk to Lavi, and Lulu Bell didn't talk in general. Those two made his record incredibly difficult.

"Mrow." A black cat with a bell around its neck jumped onto the back of the couch and perched there. Lavi didn't know the Noah had a cat around. Might be an akuma cat for all he knew. The cat stared at him for a moment before jumping down onto his lap and wedging in between him and his book. "Mrow."

"Well hello there," Lavi grinned at the cat, setting the book down on his lap. Quite a friendly fellow, wasn't she? Lavi scratched her ears. The black cat purred and rubbed up against him before settling down on top of the book he was reading and promptly fell asleep.

Lavi always found cats such fickle things. They preferred to be the center of attention, but too much attention and he'd end up scratched. Not enough attention and they wedge themselves in between the work and the worker. The latter was the case. He scratched the cat's ears again, then retrieved a smaller book and began to flip through it, allowing the cat to sleep peacefully and undisturbed.

The book was pretty interesting. During the 3rd century AD in northern India, the Noah of Form took the shape of the Earthly avatar of Rama, in the form of a blue-skinned man. Because of this all friends of the avatar of Rama were welcomed in India and the Noah made their base in one of the temples there. They were worshiped as gods, inspiring the myth known as the Ramayana.

The myth was one of the great epics of India. The name Ramayana meant Rama's journey. It detailed the events of the king Rama, the seventh avatar of the god Vishnu, and his journey through a forced exile and eventual return to the throne. Rama was the epitome of virtue. The Earl played the role of Rama, with the other Noah filling in the roles of Rama's brothers and wife. Even the monkey king Hanuman was played by a Noah, someone solely referred to as Maitora.

The rakshasa, the race of demon-like beings that Rama had set forth to destroy for the good of India, had remained rather unclear. They were a race who had been blessed by the gods and couldn't die by natural causes. They were incredibly adept at magic. Their leader, Ravana, was portrayed as particularly demonic. The rakshasa seemed to have the same role as the Order did currently, yet the story took place far before Order was plausibly established.

Whoever the rakshasa really were, they fell easily to the Noah.

Lavi put the book down. He had never imagined the Ramayana had truth behind it all, nonetheless the Noah were the inspiration. The tales he'd read so far were equally amazing. Yet there was one mystery still left unsolved: whose cat this was. It was far too friendly to be an akuma, and the bell around her neck indicated she had to be someone's cat.

He had considered Rhode being the owner, but that cat would probably live in Cyril's house and be dressed up with floofy bows and ruffles.

Tyki's cat probably wouldn't last very long. It would either run off trying to find Tyki when he was off playing out his secret other life or lose an organ. Neither seemed particularly pleasant.

The twins would have a monster cat probably even more psychotic than the two of them.

Skin? Well Lavi knew little to nothing about him, save his adoration for sweets and his bad temper. For that matter, the cat would not survive.

That left Lulu Bell. Lavi knew very little about her further than what he'd observed at the parties and dinner. From what he'd noticed about her, she seemed calm, incredibly composed, and rather aloof. She never said a word and he wasn't even sure she could speak. In truth, Lulu Bell seemed like the most logical owner for this cat.

The Earl was also a possibility. He'd probably spoil the cat.

Unexpectedly the cat stood up and stretched, arching her back and spreading her toes. She hopped off the book and padded out the door. What a strange fellow.

"Can I make you something to eat, Lord Bookman?"

Lavi stared at the curious servant. This was definitely one of the akuma more human-like in appearance. She had rather soft features; her brown hair pulled back into a low braid. She watched Lavi almost cautiously with her deep red eyes. Lavi'd seen her a few times, and she seemed to make more appearances around the house than any other servant.

"No, I'm good," he replied with a grin, waving her away. He still wasn't used to anyone waiting on him, even with an injured shoulder. He much preferred getting things for himself, given they were simple enough. The Bookman rummaged through the pantry and pulled out some crackers to munch on. Lavi set the crackers on the counter then he felt something rub against him. "Mrow."

Lavi looked down to his feet to find the black cat rubbing against his leg. He knelt down and scratched her ears. "Ya want some milk?"

"Mrow!" the cat replied, seemingly understanding his words.

Lavi grinned, stood up then retrieved milk from the icebox, placing it on the counter. Little did he know this was no ordinary cat standing behind him patiently. Slowly the cat grew, taking the shape of a human woman. Oblivious to this change, Lavi rummaged for a small dish for the cat to drink from.

Suddenly a long, slender arm reached over Lavi's shoulder and grabbed the bottle of milk. The hand was grayed like all Noah had, but this wasn't Tyki's arm. It was feminine but not Rhode's either. The redhead glanced at her with his one good eye. "Lulu Bell?" He'd never been this close to her before. In fact, he hadn't seen her move much in the first place. She had such a statuesque presence.

She took the milk and drank straight from the bottle, handing the empty bottle back to Lavi. She ran her hand through his hair, a habit most Noah had developed with Lavi, then turned back towards the door. Lavi followed her movements, noting she had the same bell as the cat did.

Sure enough, Lavi learned the reason behind the similarity in bells. Just as she had turned into a human form, she returned back to the form of a cat. She glanced back at Lavi before padding out the kitchen door.

Lavi nearly dropped the empty bottle on the kitchen floor. Lulu Bell's ability was shifting her shape as the Noah of Lust. She could change into whatever she desired. The cat wasn't hers. She _was_ the cat. "No way."

…**..**

**Author's notes**

If you want more information on the Ramayana, search it on Wikipedia for a good rundown on the story and characters. Wikisource has the full text translated as well.


	12. I'm just an observer

Lavi sipped some tea in a shop in Spain. He'd been tracking the movements of the Exorcists for three days, and his information lead him to Barcelona. Lavi had taken to sharing his information more frequently with the Noah, and they returned the favor with information of their own. Even despite the attack in the woods, Lavi still actively tracked information about the Exorcists around the world. The Noah had their human lives. Lavi could move freely and had no other obligations.

The Exorcists he'd been tracking since Turkey were here somewhere. Descriptions varied depending on person, as expected. Observations with ordinary eyes weren't always accurate. The similar description between observations was that there were three of them, one with a sharp horrible attitude and a sword at his side. Kanda.

"Yeah, I've seen them," said the man behind the counter. He stood cleaning some glasses after the morning rush.

"The people in black coats with silver crosses, yeah?" Lavi reaffirmed.

The man nodded. "Yeah, three of them. They were in here this morning for breakfast."

They were close, perhaps even right around the corner. Lavi would have to play his cards right to get the information he wanted. Plastering an inviting smile across his face, he propped his chin on his hand, inquiring, "Ya happen t' hear anything they were talkin' 'bout? Maybe where they were headin'?"

Judging by Lavi's expression, the man behind the counter thought nothing of the question. "They were talking about something innocent, babbling about looking for some German lady named Frau Tiedoll. But that's all I heard."

The bell attached to the door jingled and the man looked up to see someone enter the tavern alone. "There's one right now."

Lavi glanced over his shoulder. The man was tall with a small ponytail and something covering his ears. If rumors served correct, this was probably Noise Marie. Supposedly this man could hear most everything around him. It was best for Lavi to leave before anyone really noticed he was there. And so the redhead simply took his leave, slipping out along the shadows of the room.

Out in the light, Lavi made haste back towards the alleys to slip away from sight, but luck wasn't with him today. First a tight grip wrapped around his arm then a sword pressed at his neck. Kanda had caught him from behind.

"So we meet again, _Bookman_."

Their last encounter was still fresh in Lavi's memories. His shoulder still ached with the scar that remained from Kanda's attack. "Seems so." He had to play it cool, show no fear, and think of a way to get out of this alive. He was here alone, no one to bail him out this time.

"Time to finish what we started," Kanda stated, tightening his grip on Lavi's arm.

"I don't think so," Lavi gritted his teeth. In a swift motion, he drove his elbow backwards into Kanda's stomach, then his boot into Kanda's knee. With Kanda's brief release in his grip, Lavi took the opportunity to push Kanda backwards then follow up with a spinning round kick before bolting off in the opposite direction. At this point, the crowd in the bazaar had dissipated at the sight of Kanda's sword, which made a quick sprint in the opposite direction much simpler. Yet without the crowd, it was hard to blend in and hide in plain sight.

Kanda scoffed as Daisya came up behind his teammate, along with Marie.

"That was the Bookman, wasn't it?" Marie noted. It was an assumption, really, but given the way the guy bolted off, it seemed right.

"Why're we chasin' this guy anyway?" Daiysa inquired, playing with the Charity Bell in his hands as if it were a soccer ball. "He's human, isn't he?"

"Those are our orders. He's with the Noah," Kanda scowled, never one to really question orders. He was certain that Bookman had been tracking them since they had left Turkey and causing them trouble. "Don't just stand there. We have a mission to complete."

Daisya and Marie stared at each other for a second and shrugged. Kanda was losing his temper again. If they weren't careful, Kanda probably would attempt to slice them both up before going after their supposed target.

Marie tapped his ear, listening for movement, fazing out anything that didn't sound like a run. Sure enough, there he was. There was panic in his footsteps as he ran. They were erratic as he tried to get away from them. "He's in the closest alley on the left."

"I got it!" Daisya shouted, dashing off in the direction Marie indicated. He skidded around the corner and upon spotting the tuft of red hair, he tossed the bell into the air. With a twist of his supportive foot, he brought the other foot around, kicking the bell sharply in Lavi's direction.

That noise, the jingling, caught Lavi's attention and he turned but it was coming too fast. With only one eye, projectiles were incredibly difficult to determine, as he'd completely lost his sense of depth perception. The bell had no life force to sense and squarely nailed Lavi in the chest. The force threw him back into the side of a nearby building, the fruit stand in front of it crumbling on top of him. Dust and pieces of fruit flew about, concealing his location for just a moment. He winced a bit as he shifted, attempting to recover.

Right now, he had an Innocence sitting in his lap in the form of a giant door bell, but that wasn't the least of his worries. That ruthless swordsman wouldn't be far behind. Disappearing into the crowd wouldn't work as it had fully dispersed with the commotion. A few faces peaked out from behind curtains, but most had tucked themselves out of sight.

Lavi reached into the pouch he kept on his belt, removing a small black ball. The ball moved, uncurling its wings. The Tease seemed to stretch, awaiting a command. "I need help," Lavi told it. "Go find your master." The Tease fluttered off, disappearing through a building.

Gripping the Charity Bell, Lavi pushed himself to his feet and took off running down the alley. He briefly saw the trio running down the alley after him. He'd now successfully disarmed one Exorcist, but what to do with this thing? It jingled, possibly looking for its master. He didn't have the hands of the Noah. He was incapable of destroying it, but he could take it to the Noah himself. Unfortunately, the bell tugged about and slipped out of his hands, returning to Daisya.

No matter, Lavi rounded the corner, but unfortunately it was a dead end. He sprang up, nearly scaling the whole wall, but something tugged at his foot. He turned to see Noise Marie with his hands in an odd position. He was far enough away that even stretching as far as he could, he'd never reach Lavi, but somehow he had.

"You have nowhere to go, Bookman," he said.

"I've got no reason t' fight ya," Lavi stated calmly. "I'm just a neutral force observing the war."

"Drop the act," Daisya frowned, coming up behind Marie. "We know that you're with the Noah."

"I just happen t' be stayin' with 'em t' record their side'a the war," he objected. It wasn't a total lie. He'd become so wrapped up in his recordings, he didn't realize how close he'd gotten to them until he was inseparable from them. Kanda's attempt at taking his life only drove him closer to the Noah.

Marie tightened his grip on Lavi's ankle. Lavi could feel it through his boot, wincing. It felt like tiny threads had wrapped around his ankle, slowly strangling it. He lost his grip on the wall and fell to the ground ungracefully. He leaned against the wall, holding his shoulder. Pain shot down his arm from the wound Kanda had given him.

Kanda came up beside Marie opposite of Daisya. A quick motion of his fingers, delicately tracing the form of his sword, and that Innocence sword of his once again began to glow.

Oh god he was going to die here.

Kanda stood in front of Lavi, staring down at him. "It's time to die, informant."

Behind the wall, rose several Akuma, which immediately began to fire upon the Exorcists. Now distracted with the Akuma, the Exorcists took off to destroy them. As they ran off, Tyki phased through the wall and helped Lavi to his feet. "You alright?"

Lavi nodded. "Just a bit sore." Those strange strings had left him as quickly as they'd came, returning his mobility to him. He could hear the battle of Akuma and Exorcists right around the corner. They were close, as expected, but he didn't need to worry anymore.

Tyki ruffled Lavi's hair then adjusted his own hat. He had a high class image to keep after all, and he did enjoy it. He outstretched his hand, calling for a way home. But their travel was interrupted by Daisya suddenly bursting through the wall right in front of them.

Tyki and Daisya stared at one another before a sinister grin crossed the Noah's face. He reached into Daisya's chest, removing an organ. Lavi couldn't tell which one it was from where he stood, but it seemed pretty important. Daisya fell to the ground, gasping for air.

Lavi folded his arms, watching Tyki drag the Exorcist over to a lamppost.

"What're ya doin', Tyki?" Lavi asked curiously as Tyki pulled some rope from his pocket. His expression remained flat, almost curious to a point. He'd seen countless wars and battles, but the way Tyki worked and thought had him morbidly curious.

"Leaving a little message for the Exorcists," Tyki replied. He quite enjoyed his work, the smirk spanning impossibly far across his sharp features.

"Make him stop..." Daisya begged, reaching out for Lavi. He clawed at the ground, attempting to get free but Tyki had the advantage.

Lavi stared at him flatly, observing his motions, watching his sudden shift from destroyer to destroyed. It terrified him, and he knew quite well that he was going to die. Nothing Lavi could do, really, not that he wanted to. "I'm just an observer," Lavi stated coldly.


	13. Iron Akuma Hammer

"Lavi," the Earl called out. "Lavi, come here~ "

In the two years Lavi had been with the Noah, he'd never been called into the Earl's room, not even with one of the Noah. He'd always encountered him outside, usually at dinner. The Earl did so enjoy his family dinners.

Lavi stepped into the room. It was dark with many akuma lurking in the shadows. In the center sat the Earl, knitting something. It was the first time Lavi had ever seen the Earl do anything remotely domestic, and he seemed incredibly happy doing it, too.

"I have something for you, Lavi!" the Earl said, tossing Lavi something small.

Lavi caught the item and turned it over in his hands. It was a small metallic hammer, one with a round head on a staff. It was far too tiny to be any sort of weapon, looking more like an oversized toothpick.

"Those Exorcists are being so pesky," the Earl continued, "so you need to fight back! It's crafted from Akuma material and will respond to your command~ "

Lavi stared at it. This thing was going to help him fight back against the Exorcists?

"It will bring out your natural abilities~ " the Earl replied. "Ohohoho~ "

…

Lavi sat in the sunlight on the patio, the newly crafted hammer sitting on the patio table. He leaned back in his chair, staring at it. "Natural abilities, huh." Lavi was certain the Earl was withholding information from him, but how was that out of the ordinary? He was an ancient sorcerer hiding probably thousands of secrets and asking for clarification usually involved even more confusing answers. Whatever the case, there was something about Lavi that the Earl knew and the Bookman was determined to figure it out.

"Ho~? What's that?" Tyki walked up to the table. He took off his hat, running his fingers through his hair. He set the hat on the table upside down, taking his gloves off and dropping them into the hat. He pulled out a chair and sat down in it, crossing his legs properly. Masquerading as a nobleman had begun to wear on his habits.

"The Earl crafted it of Akuma parts," Lavi replied. "He said t' use it t' defend myself against the Exorcists."

"How's something that small going to do that?" Tyki blinked, staring at it.

"DAMMIT!" The voice resounded across the lawn, followed by a flying metal patio chair. The twins sauntered over to where Lavi and Tyki sat, scowling as usual. Debitt flopped back into one of the chairs, kicking his foot up on the table.

"Shouldn't you be on a mission?" Tyki inquired, propping his cheek on his hand.

"Shut up, Tyki!" Debitt shouted back. "We lost him again!"

"We got his bills, heeee!" Jasdero chimed in, shoving the pages of bills in Tyki's face.

Tyki took the bill and flipped a few pages. "This man sure can spend," he commented, handing Lavi the bills. Lavi mimicked, skimming the pages and agreeing. He'd never seen that kind of money thrown around like that. What did this guy need with all this stuff?

"Bastard's crafty," Debitt added, but quickly his attention shifted to the metallic object on the table. "The hell is that?"

"The Earl crafted a hammer from Akuma parts case the Exorcists try t' kill me again. He said _'it would react to my command, drawin' out natural abilities~__ '_," Lavi replied, shrugging, doing a pretty good job at mimicking the Earl. "Haven't figured it out yet. It just stays small."

Jasdero leaned across the table and eyed the creation curiously. "Just tell it to grow, heee!" he stated, looking at Lavi with his large bugged eyes.

Lavi stared at Jasdero, as did the rest of the company.

"Don't be stupid!" Debitt shouted, kicking Jadero in the pants.

Lavi stared at the hammer. "That ain't a bad idea."

The trio stared at him now.

Lavi simply shrugged. "Worth a shot." He took the hammer in his hand, stood up from the table and stepped back a few feet. The trio watched him intently. They knew the Earl was capable of amazing magic, but what this thing was he'd given the Bookman was a mystery in itself.

Holding the head towards the ground, Lavi thought of how big he wanted the hammer to grow and then gave it a simple command, "Grow." As if it knew what Lavi was thinking, the hammer immediately grew to the size Lavi thought.

Lavi stared at it. Tyki's jaw dropped, losing the cigarette from his mouth. Debitt gaped and Jasdero's eyes bugged out more than anyone thought possible.

"Amazing," Tyki managed to say.

"How the hell'd you do that?" Debitt gaped.

Lavi played with the hammer a bit in his hand. "I just thought how big I wanted it 'n it grew t' that size. I wonder what else I can make it do." He twirled it around a bit. Lavi was quite adept at fighting with staves, with his martial arts training from Bookman, but this hammer thing was something more than just a staff.

A gust of wind blew across the garden, brushing past the table and then past Lavi. But some of the wind seemed to stay, gathering around the hammer and then disappearing into it. At first he thought he was hallucinating, but then another gust of wind mimicked the first. "I'm gonna try somethin'."

Stepping over the hedges, Lavi stood in the grass. He spun the hammer in his left hand for a moment, before brining it to a halt, parallel to his arm at an angle to his body, the head to the ground. Imagining wind in his mind, he brought the hammer up across his body and in a quick, round, sweeping motion, brought it around from right to left, following the words, "Whistling winds!" Bushes rustled, and blades of grass bent backwards. It wasn't a strong wind, but it was something he'd created himself.

Once again, the trio gaped at him, and Lavi simply gaped back. "This... is my natural ability?" If so, what else could he do with this new gift?

…

The Noah sat at the dinner table as Rhode mulled over her homework. The Earl had brought them all inside for cake after the rain outside began to pour down in sheets.

"Ah, this math is hard!" Rhode frowned, sprawling out on her book. For the oldest, she sure complained about homework the most.

"Let me see that," Tyki said, taking the book. He took a pencil and started scribbling numbers.

Debitt leaned across the table and snatched the workbook straight from Tyki's hands. "Gimme that, idiot!" He looked at the word problems. "The answer's five!" he said scribbling down the number. For a moment, Lavi considered the possibility that Debitt was actually smarter than he let on. "So's this one!" It was then Lavi reconsidered the possibility. "And this one too!"

"Five! Five! Five!" Jasdero shouted, scribbling on the table. "Heee~~~!"

"That's not right at all!" Rhode shouted, crawling over the table and snatching the book back.

"Idiots," Tyki frowned, eating a piece of cake.

"Shut up!" Debitt shouted, throwing a piece of cake at Tyki, who simply let it phase through him. Angrily, Debitt threw another piece, which naturally missed again, only making him angrier.

"Don't waste good cake~ " the Earl said threateningly.

Debitt huffed, frowned, then slumped back down in his chair, folding his arms and propping a foot on the table.

"Lemme see it," Lavi offered calmly.

Rhode handed the book to him across Tyki who sat between them. Lavi took the book and folded the page backwards, tapping the pencil on his lips. Then as quickly as he read it, he wrote down the answers and handed it back to her.

"Lavi, you're amazing!" Rhode exclaimed, throwing herself on his shoulders.

The Bookman grinned. "It was pretty easy." Lavi had read many books and encyclopedias, several math books being among them.

Rhode ruffled up his hair happily.

"Ohoho~ " the Earl chuckled. He was amused by his children. Lavi was becoming one of them. Slowly but surely, Lavi was becoming a loyal member of his family. The Order would not get him, despite the potential power the Bookman held within him. "I have something for you, Lavi~"

Lavi looked up, Rhode still hanging on his shoulders. The Earl had only given him the crafted hammer a few days prior, but this must've been something wholly different.

With a wave of his hand, the Earl instructed one of the Akuma maids to deliver something tucked neatly in a handkerchief. Lavi held it in his hands and carefully opened the package.

"What is it? What is it?" Rhode demanded impatiently.

Lavi picked the object up by the chain. It was a white cross.

"That looks like the stigmata on our forehead," Tyki noted, observing it, rubbing his chin with his fingers.

"Yeah it does," Debitt agreed. "What's the deal?"

"Lavi is now part of the family~ " the Earl explained.

Rhode ruffled his hair. "My new little brother~!"

Lavi smiled genuinely, putting the cross around his neck. Two years ago, he would have never accepted something like this, but now he accepted it whole-heartedly. They were his family now and this proved it on their behalf. The Earl had accepted him as one of them.

But the Earl's true intentions were much darker. Lavi was a natural accomodator, compatible with Innocence, but there was no way the Earl would allow the Order to get such a valuable child. Ever.


	14. A tale of cake

Slender fingers wrapped around the redhead's face, covering his eye, and strangely enough, the eyepatch, too. "Guess who!" she said playfully.

Lavi set the book down on the table, grinning. It was really obvious by the voice and the smell of fresh nail polish. Only one of the Noah ever wore nail polish, and it was usually black. "Yo, Rhode ."

"Oh you're so good at this!" she mused, withdrawing her hands then proceeding to ruffle his red hair. Rhode ruffled his hair quite a bit. It was something many of the Noah seemed to do. At first Lavi thought it was something about the way he kept it, but he soon changed his mind when he saw Tyki ruffle Rhode's, reasoning it was something the family just did. Lavi had never done it to anyone, despite now being considered family.

"I thought you were out with Cyril or somethin'," Lavi noted.

"He's taking me out for cake!" Rhode exclaimed, hanging over his shoulders, playing with the cross around his neck, watching the light dance off it. It really was pretty. "Join me, Lavi!"

In the two years he'd been with the Noah, he'd not once had cake with Rhode. Tyki seemed to dread it, and Lavi had no idea why. Yes, Rhode was possessive and demanding at times, but it couldn't be that bad, right?

However, objecting to Rhode never worked for Lavi anyway, as at times, she seemed to think he was her pet and not a Bookman. She had developed somewhat of a possessiveness over him during his stay here, and Lavi had simply come to accept it. As a result, the redhead simply surrendered and decided to join her. He did like cake, after all.

When Rhode had asked Lavi to join her for cake, he hadn't expected to be shoved into formal clothes to do it. The redhead adjusted the tie in the mirror, pulling it farther away from his neck. He preferred it to be further out, much less restricting that way. He'd grown more accustomed to the formal attire after several parties with the Noah family, masquerading as the foreign cousin from Edo. But he still looked and felt incredibly awkward in it. On the contrary, Tyki looked formal all the time, top hat and all, but Lavi wasn't quite sure how he did it. He could even fight in it.

"Come on, Lavi!" Rhode tugged on his arm, yanking him away from the mirror. "You look fine!"

…

Rhode skipped along in front of Cyril and Lavi. Until today, Lavi had never been out in public in formal attire. He'd only been dressed up for formal parties the Earl held. Normally, when Lavi went out to uproot information, he wore something lower- or middle-class for whatever area he was in, simply to blend in with his surroundings, allowing him to slip into pretty much anywhere where gossip was easy to find and more people gathered.

But this situation was different. Lavi was here as a member of the Noah family. That was his current mask, although it was more of a reality than a facade. Only recently had the Earl officially accepted Lavi into the family, gifting him a white cross reminiscent of the stigmata the Noah had on their foreheads. It was a symbol that they'd accepted the human among their ranks, and he fell under their protection.

Sweet smelling air poured out of the bakery as Rhode pulled open the door. "Pick whatever you want, you two~ " Cyril offered as they entered the bakery.

Rhode immediately glued herself to the cake display.

"We have quite the selection, my lord, all are freshly baked this morning."

Lavi whipped around to find a baker who seemed intent on serving them to the best of his abilities. Lavi looked at him curiously for a brief moment.

"Do you have a favorite type of cake, Lavi-pon?" Cyril added, coming up behind the baker.

Lavi thought for a moment. He really hadn't eaten much cake, save whatever the Earl had placed in front of him. The Bookman never had the luxury of being picky. Moving about all the time, he simply ate whatever was put in front of him. "Chocolate?" he guessed.

"Oh we have so many different types of chocolate, my lord," the baker offered, intent on finding Lavi the perfect slice of cake.

Lavi walked over the counter to find Rhode still staring at all the cakes. This baker was brown-nosing him, and it was incredibly obvious. Was this a normal mannerism for storefolk when nobility came through? Lavi didn't see the point in such an action but added it to his record regardless.

"Do you have any recommendations for chocolate, Rhode?" Lavi asked her, ignoring the baker.

"That one," she tapped on the glass. It was a multi-layer cake with a cherry on top. "I've had it before. It's really good." She latched herself onto his waist. "Is that what you're getting, Lavi?"

The Bookman nodded. "One slice of that, please." He feigned a more formal speak to keep up the impression of being a nobleman. He offered the stressed baker a pleasant smile as he spoke.

The baker nodded, getting a younger boy to retrieve a rather large piece of cake. It was much larger than Lavi was accustomed to having, but he wasn't about to complain. "And for the lady?"

"I'll take that, that, and that," Rhode pointed out. The boy behind the counter seemed to know exactly which cakes she had pointed at and immediately began to work on the order. Lavi carefully watched the kid bustle around behind the counter then noticed the boy wasn't cutting what she had requested.

However before he was able to inquire about it, Rhode yanked him towards a table where Cyril had already situated himself. Rhode sat herself down delicately like a lady would before curling her feet underneath her. Lavi sat down as well, faking formal mannerisms. He'd watched enough of the other Noah in formal situations to be able to mimic them believably well. Lavi watched the people within the bakery, both customers and bakers, bustle about. He soon noticed the boy approach them, setting the cake down in front of Lavi. Cyril handed him some money before the boy skittered off back behind the counter. What Lavi saw next made his jaw drop.

The bakers placed three whole cakes in front of Rhode.

"Are you really gonna eat all'a that, Rhode?" Lavi blinked. There was just no way she could possibly handle that much cake. She'd surely make herself sick.

She nodded. "Of course, Lavi! I love sweets!"

"Oh she's so cute~ !" Cyril fawned over her.

…

Sure enough, Rhode did finish off all three cakes.

"Shall we go, Rhode dear~ ? Lavi-pon~ ?" Cyril asked, standing up.

"Yup, let's go!" Rhode replied, dragging Lavi behind her. He was incredibly tolerant of her, allowing himself to be dragged about. "Oh Lavi! I have something for us to do when we get back!"

Lavi looked down at her, wondering how she was even able to move after consuming three multi-layer cakes.

"Help me with my homework!"

Lavi ruffled her hair. "Sure."


	15. Alias 40 - Sun Yi

"Help me with my homework, Lavi " Rhode threw herself onto his shoulders.

Despite being surrounded by piles of books in the Earl's expansive library, Lavi always seemed to be found. And when Rhode found him, Rhode came first before the books. He had tried to object a few times but ended up surrendering in the end. He had doomed himself when he first took one of her workbooks and filled in all the correct answers.

"Which subject?" Lavi inquired, closing the encyclopedia he had been reading.

Still hanging on his shoulders, she shoved the book in front of him. "Bi-o-lo-gy."

Lavi looked at the bookmarked page. Anatomy. "This seems more like Tyki's subject. He could just pull someone apart for ya."

Rhode giggled. "But he's not home!"

Lavi reached out and pulled a book from the stack, then opened to a particular page. Turning it sideways it revealed a large diagram of the human body. "This'll help, yeah?"

"Oh it sure will!" Rhode agreed, leaning over his shoulders. "Sennen-ko sure has a useful book."

"The Earl has a lot'a good books here," Lavi added. It was a pretty extensive library. Somehow when he thought he'd read half the books, it somehow turned out that he had barely touched them at all. Maybe the Earl was moving books around when he wasn't there. Or maybe it was magic or something different entirely? Whatever the case, it kept him busy with new books for over two years.

"Oh, there you are, Lavi."

Rhode and Lavi turned to find Tyki walking through the door, pulling on his gloves. Rhode latched onto Lavi's shoulders. "He's mine right now, Tyki," she said possessively, narrowing her eyes at him. "We're doing homework."

"It's a mission from the Earl, Rhode," Tyki stated, adjusting his hat.

"Oooh~," Rhode wined. The Earl always took precedence.

"This book'll do ya just fine," Lavi grinned at Rhode.

"I'm taking you to China on my way to India," Tyki explained.

…

Lavi had been carefully gathering information in the Middle East when he caught wind of Exorcists heading east. China, the man selling maps had told him. Three of them were heading in that direction.

And that's just where Lavi found himself, west China along the Yellow River, at a city along one of the routes he discovered during his recordings under the alias Sun Yi. Tyki had dropped him off there after Lavi had passed along his findings to the Earl earlier this week.

It was his 40th alias; he was 13 at the time. He'd recorded so much history, so many wars, but this was a different mission. He was to learn about the war of the three kingdoms, which happened centuries ago, and the hidden history this city held about it. Hidden history was what Lavi loved the most about being a Bookman. It was knowing something few knew, knowing the secrets of the world, and it was what tantalized him most about the Noah as well.

Sun Yi was a strange character for this town to see: a redhead with one brilliant green eye. This city had seen only a few foreigners, but Yi was by far the most unusual. Regardless, no one ever seemed to question why a redhead had a Chinese name. Perhaps it was that the old man accompanying him who looked Chinese himself. Lavi had always figured him to be from some East Asian country, but since all Bookman cast off their born identities, Lavi never bothered asking.

But this time, Lavi was alone with a different mission. The people here had learned he was a historian, the specifics kept secret however, and allowed him to ask whatever questions he liked. Lavi had only been here a short time, but he was distinct enough that the people here might remember him and let him ask whatever he chose without question once again. And with access to the whole world, Lavi acquired traditional Chinese attire, similar to what he wore as Yi.

Lavi opened the door of a small familiar tea shop and was greeted by a familiar face.

"Sun Yi!" shouted the waitress. "I never thought I'd ever see you again!"

Well that answered any questions Lavi had. "Xiao Li, it's been a long time." He plastered an inviting smile across his soft features and she practically melted, hugging him invitingly.

"What are you doing here? More history?" she inquired excitedly. During his time here, the waitress had served for good information on the current happenings around the city. Being a waitress in such a central location in the city gave her access to the city's gossip, events, and general chatter.

Lavi nodded. "More recent history," he replied. "I'm lookin' for people in black coats with silver crosses. Ya seen anyone like that 'round here?"

She nodded, happy to help out an old friend. "Come have some tea, and I'll tell you everything."

With a smile, Lavi took a seat at one of the tables, and Li brought them both a fresh pot of tea. She sat down across the table from him and poured both of them a fresh cup. "I've seen a good number of them come through the area, two separate groups, but only one came in for tea."

Two groups? Where was everyone headed?

"The first group passed through here about a week ago, heading south, the other's probably still here," Li continued. "I saw them this morning."

They were here, then. His information served him well. Lavi took a sip of tea. It was as good as he had remembered. "Three of 'em?"

"Wow, you're really good!" Li exclaimed. "There are three of them. A tall man with a sword, another tall one wearing something on his ears, and an old man with lots of scrolls wearing a brown cloak."

Lavi recognized the other two as Kanda and Marie, but the third he'd never heard of. Had the group picked up a third Exorcist between Turkey and China after Tyki had killed Daisya? Whatever the case, with Kanda nearby, Lavi had to be careful. He had been training with the Akuma Hammer the Earl had given him, but that didn't mean he could be reckless. But with the city knowing him as Sun Yi, hiding would be much easier.

"Did they say anythin' 'bout where they were goin'?" Lavi inquired, pouring himself another cup of tea.

She tapped a finger on her chin, recalling what she had heard from them in particular. "Well the old man said something about Edo and the man with the sword was protesting, carrying on in a foreign language."

Of course, she didn't understand English. This was going to be difficult.

"But the old man did ask about the scenery around here," she added. "He said he wanted to draw some memories before they left."

"An artist?" Lavi never expected to find someone like that with the Order. He was probably some low-level pacifist easy to gain information from. "Where'd ya send 'im?"

"The waterfall," she replied. "You remember that place, don't you?"

Lavi remembered that place very well. He'd stood there before with Li, watching the beauty of the water fall down the cliff face, creating rainbows within the spray of the water as it hit the river. It was one of the rare times he'd ever marveled at the scenery since the sky on his first day as a Bookman. He remembered it so clearly.

"Thanks, ya've been a great help, Xiao Li " Lavi smiled softly, reaching into his pocket for some coins.

"No need to pay, Sun Yi," Li protested. "Consider this my treat. I hope that you'll stop by again sometime."

"Maybe sometime in the future," Lavi smiled sweetly. His words were incredibly convincing.

…

Lavi exited the teashop in hopes of finding out more about the Exorcists' movements in the area. If two groups had traveled through here, someone had to know about the first one. As he had asked various people he'd known as Sun Yi, he soon learned that no one really knew much about the first group. The observations described various group sizes, ages of its members, descriptions as well. It seemed the group had split up and traveled through pretty quickly. The one commonality everyone seemed to remember, however, was a boy with white hair. There was only one Exorcist who fit that description. Allen Walker. Were all the Exorcists heading to Edo?

This was big news. The Earl had to know.

But it would be some time before he'd meet up with Tyki. Even for a Tease, it would probably take some time to reach India, so Lavi chose to wait it out before Tyki was to return. Lavi had a grand opportunity to find this old artist traveling with Kanda and gather information from him.

And just as Li had said, the old man was there, sketching the waterfall, by himself at that. Kanda was nowhere in sight. Lavi approached the old man, but before he could say a thing, the man turned.

"Why don't you join me?" he invited. Pushing up his glasses, he smiled softly. The man seemed harmless. But as Lavi approached, he quickly stopped. The man's coat was lined with gold instead of silver. Tyki had told him that only the highest ranked Exorcists wore that sort of coat. This man was a general. Lavi silently reached for the hammer in his pouch.

"I'm not going to kill you, Bookman," the man stated simply, returning to his sketches. "There's no reason to do so. My name is Froi Tiedoll."

"I have no name," Lavi replied. It was actually the truth, but Lavi was not about to give this Tiedoll his current alias. Tiedoll seemed unfazed by Lavi's response and simply continued sketching the waterfall.

Withdrawing his hand from his pouch, Lavi ventured closer. Tiedoll didn't seem to move. He felt completely unthreatened by Lavi's presence, although he seemed to know exactly who Lavi was. Lavi wanted information, but there was no way a General would give him anything. Lavi was surprised he offered his name so quickly. The redhead finally sat down next to Tiedoll and looked out at the waterfall. It really was a beautiful as he remembered. Soon this world would be free of war and more places like this could exist.

"It's so beautiful, isn't it?" Tiedoll admitted, flipping the page to do another sketch. "I couldn't leave without taking a memory."

"Sure is nice," Lavi agreed. It was a genuine response; however, he followed up with one which had a deeper intent. "Where're ya goin'?"

"Now you know I can't tell you that, Bookman" Tiedoll replied, carefully sketching the water flowing around the rocks at the base of the waterfall. "Neutral or not, you are staying with the Noah. I can't put my team at risk." Tiedoll couldn't blame Lavi for trying at least.

This man was incredibly calm and honest. Lavi had never met anyone quite like Tiedoll and wasn't quite sure what to make of him. Pity he couldn't get any information about the Exorcists from him.

But their conversation was cut all too short as Lavi found an all-too familiar blade at his throat. He'd let his guard down. Kanda had taken him completely by surprise.


	16. Chasing the White Rabbit

"I've found the white rabbit," Kanda smirked, sounding rather pleased with himself.

Lavi didn't move. He wasn't about to lose his head. It was a very dangerous situation he'd found himself in and no one to bail him out. He was on his own for this one.

"Yuu-kun, there's no need for that," Tiedoll stated, looking up from his art.

"Don't call me that, old man!" Kanda shouted at him. "And don't be so damn stupid!"

"But I always call you that, Yuu-kun," Tiedoll protested calmly.

"That's not the point!" Kanda fussed back. "This Bookman here's been giving out our location to those Noah!"

It was incredibly true, although Lavi would just vehemently deny it. Lavi continued to stay still, or at least that's how he appeared. He had quietly managed to slip his hand into his pouch unnoticed and wrap his fingers around the hilt of the tiny hammer, and remove it from the pouch.

Kanda tightened his grip on Lavi. Blood began to trickle down his neck and it felt almost painful to breathe. He had hoped to simply weasel himself out of the situation, but it seemed he needed to use his trump card.

"Grow," he commanded, sending the head of the hammer straight into Kanda's stomach. The sudden force threw the Exorcist backwards, thankfully not taking Lavi's head off in the process as Kanda suddenly lost his grip on Lavi in surprise. Lavi shot to his feet, bringing the hammer head down to the ground, resting the handle on the bottom of his lower arm allowing the length of it to fall behind his back. Lavi was on the defensive, but switching to offense wasn't out of the question. He was horribly outnumbered and to top it off, one of his opponents was a General. He could feel a sort of desperation welling up inside him, the need to live even against the odds.

"Che," Kanda spat, recovering from the surprise attack. "Rabbit's got a weapon now."

This made the encounter more challenging for the Exorcists, even with numbers on their side. They knew nothing of this new weapon. Where it came from, what materials were used to make it, or even what it was capable of doing. For all they knew it was a weapon Lavi could manipulate its size, but was there more to this hammer. "What happened to your 'just an observer' business, huh?"

"That stopped when ya tried t' take my life," Lavi shot back. "A Bookman always defends himself." The specifics of defensive maneuvers were not something Kanda needed to know. Instead he should have realized to simply back off and let Lavi leave, but that never was the case with this man.

Noise Marie showed up almost as if Kanda had telepathically contacted him. It was now a sole Bookman against three incredibly powerful Exorcists and no way to contact a Noah to help. Lavi had no ability to command Akuma, either. He wasn't a Noah, just a human among them.

"Are you alright, General?" Marie inquired.

Tiedoll nodded. "We were just having a friendly chat before Yuu-kun interrupted us."

Kanda's eyebrow twitched.

"Friendly conversation?" Marie sounded incredibly surprised. "You are aware of who that is, yes?"

Tiedoll nodded. "I am."

Lavi simply stared. Was Tiedoll defending him? This was unprecedented. So far, the Exorcists had only attempted to kill him, but this one, he was showing Lavi kindness.

Marie also stared, while Kanda simply scowled. Lavi had never seen another expression on that Exorcist's face. It was almost as if it had gotten stuck that way.

"Mugen, activate!" The words brought Lavi's attention back to the bad situation at hand. While Tiedoll didn't seem to want to fight, Kanda couldn't wait for it.

Lavi resumed a defensive stance. The hammer was crafted from Akuma parts, which was weak to Innocence. Lavi wasn't sure how strong the parts were, they could be of Level 4 parts for all he knew, but he wasn't about to test the physical strength and possibly destroy his only strong weapon. He'd keep his distance and fight with the strange elemental abilities he'd gained.

With a sharp twist of his wrist, Lavi brought the hammer in front of him, then gave a command, "Waves of the Great Flood!" Synchronously with the command, he drew the hammer upwards, tracing an invisible line from toe to opposing shoulder. Water flooded quickly from his action, flowing intensely towards Kanda and Marie. Kanda attempted to slice through it, but the elements were a bit stronger than his sword and he simply found himself soaked and knocked over. Lavi took the opportunity and made a mad dash for it, tucking his hammer back into his pouch and running quickly past the Exorcists and into the city.

Kanda scowled, pushing himself to his feet just in time to see Lavi make his escape. "Follow him."

"Yuu-kun," Tiedoll suddenly interjected.

Kanda turned to him, seething at the name.

"Don't put people in danger over this," the General warned.

Kanda frowned, "Che," then headed off into the city.

…

Lavi was quick, but not quick enough to avoid Marie hearing him. The Bookman had a pretty decent lead on them and was widening the gap. His slender body made it easy for him to run very quickly. Unfortunately his speed was dropped sharply to a halt as he nearly collided with Li.

Xiao Li, get inside, Lavi warned her, his expression serious for once.

Sun Yi! What's going on? she worried. She'd never seen the redhead so upset before. In fact, she'd never seen him do anything but smile. Then she suddenly gasped.

Lavi turned to see Kanda dripping wet and seething with anger. Marie was behind him.

"Let the girl go, Bookman," Marie demanded calmly.

What do you want! Li shouted in Chinese at the Exorcists, gripping the back of Lavi's tunic. They were frightening, especially that man brandishing his sword at them.

Has he hurt you? Marie inquired, speaking perfect Chinese.

No! she shouted back. He's my friend! He hasn't done anything wrong! P-please don't steal his history books! They're important to us!

"He's got the city in his hands," Kanda hissed.

Xiao Li, go inside. I'll take care'a this, 'kay? Lavi offered her a reassuring smile. He was tempted to tell her lies upon lies, turning the city against them, but the Exorcists' actions already did that for him.

She nodded, skittering quickly into the building. Most of the city had done the same, shutting themselves in, hoping that they wouldn't be caught in the crossfire.

"You've been here before, haven't you, Bookman," Marie noted aloud.

Lavi didn't answer. He pulled the hammer back out of his pouch, preparing for another fight. He didn't want to reveal another one of his techniques, but for his life, he would. There was slight fear in his eyes, his breaths shortening as he prepared to fight for his life again.

Kanda twirled Mugen around in his hand a bit before pulling it back, preparing for an attack. Lavi brought the hammer to size, bracing himself.

"First Illusion: Hell's Insects!" he called out a spell which released what appeared to be insects from his sword.

Lavi had never seen anything like it, but he'd only been faced with Kanda's blade alone. It seemed Kanda had a similar ability to his own, able to create illusions instead of elements. Lavi brought the hammer around with both hands, bringing it over his shoulder and then straight to the ground with the words, "Seismic Barrier!" A wall of the ground jutted up quickly, dispersing Kanda's attack.

His success was cut short, as Noise Marie caught Lavi in a trap of wires wrapping around his wrists and pulling him to his knees. Losing his concentration, Lavi dropped the barrier. He lost to their expertise on the battlefield. Lavi was an observer, not a fighter. In the end, it was what got him caught. Noise Marie tangled him up quite well, restricting any possibility of escape.

"It's time to die, Bookman," Kanda hissed, walking up to him. This was hardly a fair situation.

"I don't think so," hissed a voice quite sourly. Delicate hands wrapped with freshly painted black nail polish around Lavi's shoulders followed by the face of a young girl with black hair and golden eyes. "He's mine." She stuck her tongue out at the Exorcists childishly.

Kanda stepped back a few feet, however keeping his sword drawn and activated. This was a Noah, a seemingly young one at that. He'd only seen Tyki before, and this one was very different. Where did she come from? How did she know that Bookman was here? This also affirmed his believe that the Bookman was not neutral.

Rhode stared at Marie, her eyes glassing over and he suddenly withdrew his wires back to his hands, then proceeded to rub his hands, unsure of what just happened. Kanda scowled at the young Noah. Was she responsible for this?

She summoned a pink door behind her and dragged the Bookman through it with her, leaving Kanda gawking at the door when it simply disappeared from existence.

…

Lavi looked a mess when Rhode pulled him back into the Noah's home. He was bleeding down his neck and right arm, his tunic was torn in various places from Marie's wires. Despite all this, he smiled at Rhode. "Thanks. I woulda lost my head back there."

"Tyki's running late, so I got you myself," she grinned back.

"I've got important information for the Earl," Lavi explained.

"It'll have to wait. He's got company," Rhode stated.

…

Still a mess, Lavi peered around the corner into the main dining room with Rhode. The Earl sure did have company, human company. Lavi recognized the company as a high ranking French noble who was tangled up in a small, localized battle a few years prior. The nobleman stood up and shook the Earl's hand then glanced up for a moment, spotting Lavi and Rhode, who both quickly slipped back around the corner.

"I shall be meeting you later, Earl," the Nobleman said with a bow.

"Ohoho, yes indeed " the Earl agreed before seeing the Nobleman off.

With the Nobleman gone and out of sight, the Earl beckoned the two spies to come around the corner. "I know you're there, Lavi, Rhode."

"Sennen-ko!" Rhode bounded around the corner and threw herself on the Earl's shoulders. "I went to get Lavi, and he's got good information!"

"Oh?" the Earl inquired, Rhode still hanging happily on his shoulders.

In a way, Lavi wanted to ask what he and the Nobleman had been talking about but he knew in time, he'd learn what had gone on. Or it could have been something incredibly trivial such as comparing the colors of the flowers in their gardens or what cheeses they'd had last week.

"The Exorcists're plannin' somethin' big," Lavi replied. "Two separate teams passed through China, a week apart. The first group has an unknown size, but Allen Walker's with 'em. The second one's Kanda Yuu's group with General Tiedoll now with 'em."

The Earl probably didn't care about the groups but the last bit of information was incredibly important. "I'm positive they're both headin' for Edo," Lavi concluded

"Ohoho~ " the Earl chuckled lightly, despite his opposing expression. "They think they can get the upper hand? We'll just see about that~ " After unlatching Rhode from his shoulders, the Earl promptly left, snickering to himself.

"Pay attention, Lavi," Rhode said, a rather devious smirk drawn across her face. "Things're about to get very interesting."


	17. The Ark of Secrets

Lavi stared up at the tall towers. "No way." He'd never seen anything like this place. "Is this really the legendary ark?"

Rhode nodded. "This is the full ark. It's where humanity originated after the Great Flood."

Lavi had traveled through doors on the Ark, but had never really gotten a chance to see more than just some hallways. This place was like a city in a cube. It reminded him of some of the Mediterranean cities he'd been through on his records, except this was on a very old cube. Or something. Lavi wasn't quite sure how it worked yet, but he knew this was an incredibly important place to both the Noah and the hidden history of the world.

"Humanity originated here?" Lavi blinked.

Rhode nodded. "That's right, Lavi~"

"As history has it," Lavi recalled, "the Great Flood came t' wash away all the corrupt people of the world, but Noah was saved by buildin' an ark 'n waitin' out the storm. He landed on Mount Ararat where he started a new world, yeah?"

"That's just the surface of the truth," Rhode grinned. "Deep within this ark is where Noah created the ancestors of humanity. We're all from there, but only we with Noah's memories remember this part. Akuma are also created deep within here."

Akuma? So this was where the Earl created them.

She walked around, twirling the umbrella Lero around in her hand. Lero, of course, fussed up a storm at first but had since quieted down. Rhode always got her way. She was the oldest Noah, after all, even if she acted like a child. Lavi had been following her for some time as she spoke, stopping to observe the buildings and the streets.

"Don't get too far behind, Lavi," Rhode warned. "You could get lost here forever if you don't know the way."

That was quite the ominous warning. This place held more secrets than the birthplace of humanity, didn't it? "Where do all these buildings lead?" Lavi inquired, curious what could get someone lost for so long.

"Some nowhere, some in circles," Rhode replied. "Others are endless pits of death."

The last answer sent a shiver down Lavi's spine. Forever falling was not something on Lavi's to-experience list. He kept close to the Noah as she led him up a stairway. It seemed to spiral upward forever, until they finally reached a door. Rhode bounded into the room. It was a room at the top of the tower he'd spotted earlier.

"This place has the best view in the entire Ark!" Rhode bounded over to the balcony and perched herself on the railing. Lavi soon followed suit, leaning against the railing, looking out across the entire ark city. It truly was amazing.

"But it's all going away soon."

Lavi looked back at her suddenly. "Huh?"

"Not long ago, there was a 14th Noah. Like Sennen-ko and me, he could control the Ark," Rhode explained, swinging her feet as she spoke. "He gave his power away to a human and fled, binding this Ark to Edo. Traitor." She frowned at the last word, adding a rather sour emphasis to it. "The Exorcists Tyki's been killing are somehow linked to the 14th."

So that was what Tyki had been doing. Lavi'd seen Tyki go out more often than usual by himself. Lavi had asked him what he was doing, and Tyki simply told Lavi he'd tell him all about it later and ruffled his hair as he left.

"We're not going to let those filthy Exorcists have the ark. So we have to download this one into a new ark Sennen-ko is making. It'll be better than this one!" She grinned at Lavi.

Lavi didn't quite get it. How was she going to transfer this ark into a new one?

"I'll be transferring this ark to a new one myself," Rhode replied with a grin. "It's part of my abilities as the first Noah."

…

It had been days since Lavi had seen the majority of the Noah or the Earl. He'd been stuck at the Camelot household with Cyril and his frail wife, Tricia, who seemed to know nothing of the Noah. Lavi knew Rhode was busy transferring the ark, but he had no idea where the rest had gone. His best guess was that they'd gone to confront the two teams of Exorcists that supposedly were heading to Edo.

Lavi sighed. Cyril's library was not as extensive as the Earls, and he'd already completely read every book in the short time he'd been there. He had thought not having Rhode bug him every day would give him some time to read, but instead he found himself incredibly bored and out of books.

The Bookman made his way down the hallway towards the kitchen, when he heard something which made him stop in his tracks.

Crying.

Lavi peeked around the corner, expecting to see Tricia but instead finding someone else. "Cyril?"

Tears streamed down Cyril's face uncontrollably. Lavi had never seen him cry. For that matter, he'd never seen any of the Noah cry. They always seemed so happy. Well most of them. Skin always seemed cranky and Lulu Bell never seemed to care. But other than those two, the Noah always seemed so pleasant. Crying never seemed to be in their catalog of emotions. Lavi didn't even think it was possible for them to cry anyway. In that sense, Lavi was like them. In his entire life, Lavi had never once shed a tear.

Cyril wiped his eyes with his sleeve and stood up. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it," he said, ruffling Lavi's hair as he passed by him and out into the hallway.

People didn't cry inexplicably like that. Lavi had studied enough people to know that, and while the Noah were different, at times they seemed to follow the same rules. Something happened and it almost definitely involved the Noah family. That was the only thing strong enough to affect Cyril like this. "Where are the others?"

Cyril sighed, debating on telling the Bookman, but Cyril had been around Lavi enough to know that even if he didn't tell him, the redhead would learn the information eventually. The kid was crafty. He had the investigative abilities which could rival a police detective and the strange ability to be in the right place at the right time.

"They're off on business," Cyril replied, returning to walk down the hall.

"Cyril."

Then again, Lavi was now family. The Earl had even accepted him as one of them. He did have a right to know. "They're fighting the Exorcists in the Ark," Cyril replied. "Don't be reckless." Cyril couldn't bring himself to tell Lavi who was among the Exorcists. It would crush him.


	18. Downfall

Lavi ran through a series of doorways within the Ark. He'd taken an entrance from within Cyril's house, one he'd seen once before. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Ever since Tyki had gone off to India while Lavi himself was in China, Tyki'd been slinking around some sort of subject. Rhode knew too, and the two hushed about the subject whenever Lavi was nearby. They were hiding something and hiding it well. And it bothered Lavi to no end.

He stopped and stared at the ground, his mind twisting with dozens of possibilities. What were they hiding from him? Why? Certainly they had a really good reason for this, but curiosity was getting the better of him. He had to know.

Crack. Crack.

Lavi quickly turned around. The ground behind him was cracking and falling away. What was causing this? Was this a result of the download? Rhode had never truly offered him details about the process, and it had kept her incredibly busy lately. Whichever the case, Lavi wasn't about to fall to oblivion. Rhode had offered him a warning about that eternal fall and it was certainly something Lavi never wished to experience.

The crack in the ground grew, snaking its way over towards Lavi and finding its way underneath his foot. The Bookman jumped back several feet then turned to run in the opposite direction, heading up the hill. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He had no idea where the Noah were and if he came across Exorcists first, he was very screwed. He wasn't in the right frame of mind to fight.

But there was no one in sight.

Lavi stopped and looked up the hill. The tower. It was the center of the Ark and the point where someone could see everything in the entire Ark. If they wanted to draw the Exorcists somewhere, that was the perfect place. Something drew him there, almost as if it were calling him. He turned and opened a green door with an ornate curved handle and ran through it. He remembered the path that Rhode had shown him on their prior visit, following it exactly. Any variation of the path could get him lost and probably cause him to fall to oblivion.

Quickly, Lavi made his way through a series of doorways then up the seemingly eternal spiral staircase to the top of the tower.

He had to know. He had to know the answer.

"Join me for dinner, Rhode," Tyki invited, sitting down at the long table. It had a black tablecloth with a long white cross down the center. A feast was set up at either end, and Tyki was seated at the head of the table, the annoying card floating next to him. It had rattled on about something, but Tyki had swatted it aside a few times, attempting to get rid of its constant whining.

"They're almost here, Tyk~i," Rhode stated, perching herself on the side of the table. "So is someone else."

"Huh?" Tyki blinked. He hadn't expected a third party to show up. It wasn't that insufferable General Cross, was it?

"Come join us," Rhode invited, beckoning towards the staircase, "Lavi "

Lavi stepped out of the shadows. He'd been so careful in sneaking in from the back stairway, seemingly unnoticed. At least he thought he was unnoticed. Most people rarely noticed Lavi when he wished to blend in with his surroundings, but the Noah weren't most people, especially Rhode. She probably heard him thinking or something.

"I know you came through one of the doors," Rhode admitted flatly. "We told you not to follow us."

"Cyril was crying," Lavi replied. There was worry in his voice, something neither Noah had ever heard from the Bookman. "I know somethin's up. Everyone's been hidin' somethin' from me."

Tyki frowned. Tyki knew Lavi was incredibly observant but he didn't realize the Bookman was that good. He'd been hiding some information from Lavi since India, when he learned of something that might crush his adopted Bookman brother. Tyki couldn't do that to him.

Three years ago, the situation was completely different, and Tyki would have taken much pleasure in crushing the redhead. But Lavi had grown on him. Lavi was family, and Tyki protected his family. Rhode and Cyril soon learned of the information Tyki had and agreed not to tell Lavi under any circumstance.

But hiding this from him any longer wasn't an option. In truth, neither Noah knew how Lavi would react. The Bookman always seemed so collected, his emotions so controlled and precise. This time might be different. This secret could crush him.

"Sit down, Lavi," Rhode offered a seat. "You're about to find out."

The doors at the end of the room swung open and Rhode bounded over to the intruders. "Allen~ !" She threw herself on the white-haired Exorcist and kissed him straight on the lips.

Lavi nearly lost his edge. Was that the secret they were all hiding? Rhode was having a secret love affair with an Exorcist?

"Rhode-tama~~! What are you doing, lero?!" shouted the umbrella furiously, rather frustrated with his master and her little crush.

Tyki sighed, propping his cheek up on his fingers. "You like that boy that much, Rhode? It's the first time I've seen you kiss someone other than the Earl." Somehow he didn't seem all that surprised by this action.

Rhode giggled, snatching Lero the umbrella out of the air and dragging him along. "I won't give either of you one "

Lavi looked past Rhode, observing the Exorcists who had walked through the door. He recognized Allen Walker and the girl, but the other man he'd never seen before. Lavi couldn't tell from where he sat but it seemed like there was another with him. Someone short.

"What are you doing?" Tyki frowned at the Exorcists. "Sit down. I want to talk to you before fighting."

"I'll have to refuse," Allen replied flatly. "I like to take my time when eating."

"Time?" Tyki smirked. "Do you want to know how much time you have left?"

"Outside," Rhode grinned, planting herself on the table next to Lavi. A rather devious smile spanned her features as she kicked her legs back and forth. "It's a superb view~."

The Exorcists ran past the table to the balcony where Rhode told Lavi about the 14th Noah only days before. It was then Lavi spotted the fourth member, a shorter man with very little hair. It couldn't be, could it?

"All that's left here is the tower," Tyki explained. "You have no more than an hour left."

Rhode ruffled Lavi's hair affectionately before stepping onto the umbrella and floating over to the door. With a sharp kick, she pushed the door shut, chaining it up with one of her creations. "Sit down," she glared.

The Exorcists didn't move, the fourth member seemingly hiding behind them.

"Take a seat, Exorcists," Tyki ordered, taking a wine glass, smirking. "Or are you scared?"

It was Allen Walker who made the first move, approaching the table then slamming his hand against it. His hand was rather unusual, almost clawlike. Lavi had never seen anything like it before.

Yet Allen's hand wasn't the most surprising thing Lavi saw. The man who had been hiding behind the group took the seat next to the girl and closest to the Noah. His eyes were sunken in, a scraggle of hair on his head. Across the table in an Exorcist's uniform sat Lavi's mentor, Bookman.

…**.**

**Author's notes:**

**This is a parallel to manga chapters 110-112**


	19. The breaking point

"Don't make that face," Tyki frowned, sighing. "I haven't set any traps. Didn't I say there would be no cheating?"

Rhode threw herself onto Allen. "That's right! My door's set up as promised!"

Door? Perhaps an exit door? Had these two been playing games with the Exorcists this entire time? What about what made Cyril cry suddenly? Was that somehow a game too?

Allen and Tyki began to banter back and forth about cards. Lavi could remember when he first met Tyki. The Noah challenged him to poker and while Lavi's memory allowed him to naturally count the cards, the redhead did not take into account that Tyki would cheat the entire way through. Tyki cheated incredibly well, as Lavi didn't notice until much later. Tyki also had an impervious poker face, unbending to any sort of pressure. Lavi had noticed the same expression when Tyki was enjoying the pleasure of his Noah side.

This Allen Walker. Was it really possible that he could out-cheat Tyki? Who was this white-haired Exorcist really?

"Do you think it was destiny for us to meet?" Tyki smirked, leaning forward onto the table. He was certainly enjoying this banter.

"Not really," Allen replied coldly. "I've made many people strip to their underwear in cards."

"So cold," Tyki frowned. It was the only time the Noah had lost a game of cards and one where they had bid articles of clothing at that. Allen had a dark side about him, one that came out when playing cards.

But it wasn't their conversation that had Lavi's attention, primarily. It was the old man. He hadn't moved since he sat down, staring coldly at Lavi the entire time. His mentor was on the other side of the table. The man who had taken Lavi under his wing for years on end, teaching him the ways of the Bookman Clan, teaching him first aid and several different styles of martial arts, acting as the only family he'd ever known.

It was thirteen years ago that Bookman had first found Lavi, the nameless child with a perfect memory and a curious right eye. Bookman offered Lavi the opportunity to learn the unwritten history by becoming his apprentice, and the young redhead had eagerly accepted. For 48 aliases, Lavi traveled the world with the old man, learning everything he could about written and unwritten history. But alias number 49 was different. It was then that Bookman had left him.

For the first month with the Noah, after Bookman had left, Lavi found himself missing the old man's snarky remarks, expecting to get hit or whatnot whenever he'd done something stupid or said too much. But instead, Lavi found emptiness, as if the old man had abandoned him. He'd left without saying where he was going or if he was ever to return. Lavi had not once considered the possibility that he would be on the other side of the war, secretly joining the opposition.

That's when it hit him.

_"You're a Bookman, aren't you?"_

The first time that Lavi had ever encountered an Exorcist. Allen Walker, the boy with the white hair, knew that Lavi was a Bookman with the Noah without Lavi ever saying a word. For a year since the encounter, those words sat uncomfortably with Lavi. How did Allen know who he was? It wasn't as though Lavi had "Bookman" written across his face. But now Lavi finally knew the answer.

His own mentor was feeding the Order the information. The Exorcists had the advantage this entire time. They knew Lavi was there from the start, recording for the Noah and gathering information on them as well as on the Order. That was why Kanda had orders to kill him. That was why they knew Lavi had been tracking their movements. They knew. They always knew. Lavi didn't even stand a chance against them. They wanted his life now because of it.

And the old man didn't even stop them from attempting to take his own apprentice's life.

Lavi's heart was breaking. The cold heart he'd kept bottled up within himself for years was finally breaking apart, cracking from the pain and anger that began welling up within him. For years, he'd controlled his own feelings and emotions constantly, keeping his true desires suppressed and withdrawn. He'd put on a mask that allowed him to take on any role, mimicking the emotions of ordinary people, giving the responses everyone expected without actually feeling a thing. And for 48 aliases, this worked incredibly well.

But today was different. His chest felt like it was on fire, as if it would burst and explode into a million pieces at any moment. It hurt intensely.

[ Does your heart grieve for every trail of ink you've left behind? ] There was only one other person who knew that language in this room. It was the language of the Bookman Clan, something only they knew.

Allen and Tyki also stopped talking but did not stop glaring at one another. Rhode was the only one who looked at Lavi. She'd never seen such a serious expression on Lavi's face in the three years she'd known him. But there was more to it. There was pain in his one visible eye. Normally she would take sport in causing that reaction, but with Lavi, it almost hurt.

Lavi snapped up to see Bookman still staring at him. Lavi remained silent. The ink he wrote on his records was the people he had encountered, the tales they told, the events they helped shape. As history moved on, the ink was often forgotten, only remaining in the Bookman's Records. As Lavi went from record to record, from alias to alias, he'd left the ink behind, unaffected by leaving them. But this time, it was different. He felt that he couldn't part from the Noah. They had become living ink, attached to his own heart.

[ Have you forgotten the purpose of our clan? ] the old man frowned.

[ No. ] Lavi had never forgotten their purpose but instead was doing everything to fulfill it. He was recording the hidden history, the information left out of the written records, about the mysterious Noah clan which had eluded the Bookman for generations. He was learning about what really happened during the Great Flood. He was recording the secret war that was currently going on. He was storing them within his mind to hand down to his own apprentice.

[ No, you have, ] Bookman countered. [ You've lost yourself in the war. You're failing as my apprentice. ]

Failing. The word rattled around in Lavi's mind, plaguing him with its existence. Failing as his apprentice. Failing his dream. Lavi's entire life revolved around becoming a Bookman. It was the only thing he ever saw himself doing, the only thing he knew how to do. Was he really failing at it?

No, that wasn't it at all. If anyone, it was Bookman who was failing as a mentor. He was breaking the rules, giving out his knowledge about his own apprentice to curve the war in his favor. Lavi knew it was him. It was the only way the Exorcists knew everything about him.

It was the old man's fault.

"Shut up, old man! Shut up!" Lavi slammed his fist on the table, his expression no longer soft and controlled but instead twisted with pain and anger. "Just shut up!"

Tyki broke his staring contest with Allen for the first time since the Exorcists sat down, his eyes wide, staring at Lavi. The Noah had never seen this sort of reaction out of Lavi, not to mention anything so intensely strong. Lavi had never once raised his voice or shown any sign of anger or pain in the three years he'd been with them. Even when Lavi lost poker games or found himself nearly killed by the Exorcists, he always seemed to be in control. This was a shocking side of Lavi no one had ever seen. Whatever the old Bookman had said in that bizarre language had seriously caused Lavi to snap.

At the table, only Bookman seemed unfazed by Lavi's sudden outburst.

"What happened to our oath to not get involved?" Lavi shouted. The old man was the one too involved, not him. "You've been feedin' them information 'bout me!"

"So have you," Bookman interjected.

"You're fightin' on the front lines too!" Lavi added angrily. It was a policy of the Clan to never get on the front lines of a battlefield by choice. Bookman never fought in battles, only observed them, defending themselves as necessary to preserve their lives and the legacies they held within their memories. But Bookman had joined the front lines. He'd been fighting with the Exorcists. That was why he was here in front of them in an Exorcist's uniform.

"You're overreacting, idiot apprentice." Bookman remained incredibly calm.

Lavi scowled. "Was that a lie about the Clan? What other lies have you been feedin' me?" The Earl was right. The Exorcists were nothing but trouble. They were trying to take everything away from him. His family. His life. His dream of being a full-fledged Bookman. Even his own mentor.

Something glinted in the light from the balcony but as quickly as the light came, it ended. Floating in front of Lavi were some of Tyki's Tease and stuck within them were acupuncture needles. The Tease fell lifelessly to the ground, the one surviving Tease landed on his head delicately. Lavi recognized those needles. They belonged to the old man, a master of acupuncture.

So that's how it was. He was one of them, planning on killing Lavi just like the rest of them.

Allen took the opportunity and launched himself across the table at Tyki, engaging the Noah in battle.

Delicate hands wrapped around Lavi's body, pulling him backwards and out of the way of the attack. "Are you okay, Lavi?" There was concern in her voice.

"The Exorcists," Lavi frowned, "they're trying to take everything away from me." His entire body was shaking. It hurt as if someone had impaled him with a javelin straight through his heart. He couldn't control it. The feeling was too powerful. He couldn't stop it. He couldn't control it. It was taking over him; the pain and the anger were too powerful.

Rhode noticed the old man approach. Her eyes glowed and he slumped to his knees. Lenalee, the female Exorcist, panicked, shaking him. "Bookman! Bookman!"

Rhode wrapped her arms around Lavi tighter, hugging him, burying her face in the back of his neck affectionately. "We'll take care of them for you ." That's what the family did. They protected one another. These were the Noah Lavi had come to know.

Lavi closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths. His body stopped shaking and his heart was finally slowed down, although it still ached. It was nice to feel her embrace. It was nice to know he wasn't alone. It was nice to be wanted.

"I'm going to send you home where you'll be safe," she said, then added, "but before I do, any last requests?"

Lavi looked up to where she was pointing. Rhode had caught Bookman in her dream world. He had never seen her power first-hand, but she'd told him how she played with Allen and Lenalee in the Rewinding Town. He knew very well how dangerous her abilities were. She was the First Child, the oldest of the Noah. It was expected.

"I don't care what happens to him anymore," Lavi replied coldly.

A sinister smirk came across the girl's face. "Perfect."


	20. Awoken

Lavi hadn't moved since he'd traveled through Rhode's door from the Ark. Slumped against the wall, he had his face buried in his knees. Why did it hurt so much? Throughout his whole career as an apprentice Bookman, he'd watched wars, battles, and death without even as much shedding a tear. In fact, the redhead had never cried in his whole life. He didn't even know if he were capable of it. He was emotionally empty most of the time, feeling absolutely nothing but pretending he felt everything.

And now, he was feeling something, and it was extreme. The pain welled up inside him, as if someone had stabbed him through the heart. His body hurt more than when Kanda had nearly severed his arm. He was still in complete shock. The man who had found him with nothing and gave him everything was now trying to have him killed, at least indirectly. He was giving the Order information about Lavi. He was on their hit-list now, his life in danger, all because of his own master. Lavi wanted to ask why, but the word never came out. Instead there was yelling. The words simply came out on their own uncontrollably. He couldn't stop them. He couldn't regain control. He'd completely lost it.

A small hand delicately ran through his red hair. "Lavi," she said softly.

Lavi looked up to find Rhode a bit of a mess. She wasn't bleeding but her clothes were pretty rumpled and torn a few places. His one emerald eye was laced with pain and confusion. He was a wreck himself.

"We need your medical skills," she informed him.

How did she know of his medical skills? He'd never told anyone about them but he had used them. They just appeared to be general first aid skills when he'd wrap up wounds he'd received from Exorcists attempting to kill him. But that wasn't what she was after, was it. "How did you-"

She placed a finger on his lips, cutting him off. She already knew his question before he even spoke it. "I learned a lot from the old panda's memories."

Lavi knew she had the power to create dream worlds but to get into someone's mind and see their memories? But if that were the case, then she knew about Lavi's past as well, about his aliases and facades he wore, about how he had no particular origins, about his mysterious right eye. She probably knew more, too. The old man held Lavi's secrets. All of them.

"It'll be our secret ."

Her words were more unnerving than comforting. "What's the catch?" Lavi expected something devious such as eternally helping her with homework or being her pet Bookman or eating cake with her every day.

"Help Tyki." Her words were surprisingly sincere, worry lacing her voice.

But it wasn't the sincerity or simplicity of her request which caught his attention. It was Tyki. "Tyki?" He shot up rather quickly. Something had happened to his adoptive brother, something bad enough that Rhode required Lavi's medical skills. "Where is he? What happened?" Of all the Noah, Lavi was the closest to Tyki and Rhode. He spent most of his time with one or the other.

At the beginning of Lavi's stay with the Noah, Rhode toyed with him almost constantly as if she were testing his limits, trying to break him. Tyki wanted nothing to do with Lavi, save beat him at poker every so often. But there was a point when the two began to warm up to him, almost as if he'd become their brother, Tyki first, followed by Rhode. The others began to warm up to him in their own odd ways after that. And then when he'd received the white cross from the Earl, Lavi truly felt as if he were their adopted brother. He became part of the family, and he enjoyed it.

Rhode took his hand and dragged him off down the hallway and into a room. Lavi simply stopped at the door, gaping. His emotions were so criss-crossed he couldn't hide the horror he felt. Tyki was simply laying there, large crosses drawn across his body. His hair had inexplicably grown incredibly long, his shirt and jacket completely gone, his pants torn from battle. He lay in his white form, his skin considerably darker than Lavi remembered, in quite a bit of pain. "Tyki!" He rushed over and knelt beside the bed. "What happened?"

"Allen tried to exorcise his Noah," Rhode explained.

"Exorcise?" Lavi stared, horrified. The markings must be from that. But how did Allen Walker have that sort of power? He seemed so pacifistic. But who was he really? "The hell was he tryin'? Noah aren't demons that can just be expelled!"

"It had the reverse effect," Rhode replied simply, sitting on the side of the bed. "His Noah fully awoke and nearly killed the Exorcists. Too bad that General had appeared last minute and disrupted his plans," she added with a hiss.

The twisted sadistic Noah Lavi had seen so far wasn't Tyki's full awoken form? There was more to the Noah than Lavi had learned so far. There had to be. But did this mean, also, that what Rhode showed wasn't her fully awoken form either? Or was it that she simply hid her true talents?

In a way, the idea that the Noah had more secrets fascinated the Bookman. He wanted to know more about them, their powers, their abilities. He wanted to see it for himself. They were more powerful than he'd ever imagined. At the same time, however, these potential awoken forms sent chills down his spine. As he'd observed, the Noah were superhuman, but to be more so? Was that even possible? The power frightened him. He never wanted to be on the receiving end of that.

Lavi traced the crosses along Tyki's stomach with his fingers. The wound was smooth, no sign of breaking of the skin. But this was a wound caused by Innocence. Lavi had his own but he wasn't affected like the Noah were as he was simply human. He wasn't quite certain on the details of what might happen from a wound caused by Innocence, but he knew very well it wouldn't be good.

Lavi nearly jumped a mile when Tyki grabbed Lavi's neck from his blindside. Despite his condition, his grip was incredibly strong, almost suffocating as he grabbed the Bookman. "Tyki!" he gasped, clawing at Tyki's hand. "Tyki, it's me! It's Lavi!"

Tyki looked down his arm to find the familiar red hair belonging to whatever he had suddenly grabbed. The redhead was attempting to pry Tyki's hand off his neck. "Lavi?" He immediately let go of the Bookman, rather horrified that he'd caught Lavi instead of an Exorcist. "Sorry, I didn't mean to grab you like that."

Lavi gasped for air, rubbing his neck. Despite Tyki nearly killing him, Lavi still wanted to help out his adopted brother. Tyki meant a lot to him, and Lavi wanted to do whatever he could to help him. The redhead was also capable of taking a good deal of abuse. "I'm gonna do what I can t' help ya with this." It reminded Lavi that he was human and they weren't. He was part of the family but he wasn't like them. The redhead would just have to be wary of this awakened form in case Tyki went mad and killed every human nearby. Lavi didn't want to become a dead Bookman. Maybe the cross he wore would help him recognize him as an ally.

Lavi wasn't entirely certain how he could help, except maybe dull the pain with some herbal remedies he'd learned in China, but he'd do whatever he could. He wasn't about to let the Exorcists gain an advantage.

…

Several weeks had passed. Tyki's condition was marginally better. Lavi had spent most of the time in Tyki's room, trying to help him cope with the pain Allen had caused. He was wearing himself thin, even found himself needing sleep. The Bookman so rarely slept that everyone believed he didn't need it.

Tyki leaned against the balcony, staring out at something in the distance. His hair was pulled back, reaching down his back to his waist. His pajamas covered the scars which formed from the wounds from Allen's attack.

"I'm gonna go out for a bit, Tyki," Lavi informed him, adjusting his floofy bow tie. "Ya gonna be okay for a while?"

Tyki turned to face Lavi, then tried to muffle his laughs but they came out anyway. "Did Rhode pick that out for you?"

Lavi frowned. "Yeah, that bad?" He tugged at it in the mirror. It did look ridiculous. She'd get mad at him if he changed it though, and Lavi really didn't want to cross her bad side. He sighed.

Tyki continued to snicker, his attempt at muffling them completely failing. "She sure has an odd fashion sense."

"Doesn't help that Cyril thinks it's cute," Lavi frowned, finally getting the bow to sit and not choke him. "They said they were takin' me out t' lunch then handed me this thing."

"Have fun with that, Lavi," Tyki grinned. "I'll be fine."

…

Lavi walked down the street, still tugging at the ridiculous bow. He walked alone, planning to meet Rhode and Cyril at the café nearby. He wasn't worried about possibly encountering Exorcists as Lulu Bell had recently decimated their headquarters. They were most likely busy picking up the remains of whatever pathetic shape their headquarters had become.

"Lavi." The harsh voice hit his hears sharply. The redhead turned to see his master. He was alive? What was he doing here? What could he possibly want?

…

**Author's notes**

**Okay, it's Q&A time! I've gotten quite a bit of comments asking questions and such, so I'll address a few here.**

**1. Will X meet Y? Will this happen?**

**A. Well I can't tell you that, now can I? It'll spoil all the fun. You'll have to wait and see.**

**2. You'll update soon, right?**

**A. Yeup. I generally update every Tuesday and Friday, unless I'm out of town at a convention or plain forget. I tend to write many chapters ahead before I publish, ensuring consistency and plotlines all match up. I do this for all of my fics. In the case of NB, I'm about 20 or so chapters ahead, writing the grand finale as I type this.**

**3. I don't really like the names you use.**

**A. Okay, this one really isn't a question at all, but I do get it rather frequently. I started writing this fic back when the Noah's Ark arc was just finishing. There were no character books out yet, no official spellings. I kept some of the official spellings when I rewrote it but I kept some of the old ones too. In particular Cyril and Rhode.**

**I keep Road's name as Rhode to differentiate between her name and her Noah name. Also Rhode sounds more like a girl's name than Road does.**

**Cyril. I mean, come on. Sheryl?**

**There are other names, though few and far between, that I've kept the original fan-translated names because I'm not entirely sure what to make of their official names.**

**4. This parallels the manga?**

**A. I haven't gotten this one here, but I got it on deviantArt quite a bit. Yes, this is a parallel, though there are discrepancies, particularly the time frame. Some chapters are direct parallels to manga issues, and I'll generally note which chapters are addressed. Some are closer to the issue while others are not. There is a point in the future where the story will completely deviate from the manga because it's currently on eternal hiatus.**

**Okay, that's it for today's Q&A!**


	21. Two separate ways

"Lavi."

The redhead turned to find his old mentor staring back at him. His hands were neatly knit within the long sleeves of his Exorcist uniform, his expression calm and unmoved.

"Lavi, we need to talk."

Lavi stared at him flatly. The last person he wanted to talk to was Bookman. The old man had hurt him so much. Lavi wasn't entirely certain how the old man had survived, yet Rhode had never said she had killed him, just that she'd learned much from his memories.

"You're too involved in this record," the old man pointed out harshly.

"So are you," Lavi shot back. This was beginning to sound like their previous conversation, and that one ended poorly.

"Lavi, let's close this record and move on," he offered.

Well that caught his attention. "Close the record?" Lavi stared, surprised he actually considered taking the offer. In a way, there was an emptiness in him that the old cranky man once filled.

Bookman had found the redhead with absolutely nothing, a child with no name and a strange eye. He offered him the world of hidden history and adopted him as his apprentice. Lavi couldn't have been happier than that day. He spent years with the old man, taking on various aliases and guises. At first, Lavi was a terrible actor, but as the aliases passed by, his skills improved. The old man also taught him useful skills, including first aid, several forms of martial arts, and cooking, although cooking neither ever could do successfully.

But three years ago, the man Lavi'd learned to rely on left without a word as to where he was going. That's when Lavi found a new family, the Noah. They were quirky and sometimes possessive, but they were family. He was their little human brother.

And only a few weeks ago, Lavi had found where his old man had gone. To the opposition. He'd been feeding the Order information about his own apprentice, which resulted in the Exorcists hunting him down like wild prey. So far, Lavi'd nearly lost his life three times and an arm once, because of him.

"Ya almost had me, old man," Lavi folded his arms. "I'm not done with my record yet."

Bookman remained expressionless. "Don't be stupid." A quick flick of the wrist and he slapped Lavi across the face. "Listen to yourself, idiot apprentice!"

Lavi tapped his cheek. Blood? Bookman had tips on his fingers as a form of his Innocence. While Bookman had smacked Lavi many times before for being an idiot, this time was different. It hurt on a whole new level. His heart still panged from their last encounter, and he'd developed a deep and severe hatred for Innocence.

"I'm leavin' now," Lavi stated bluntly, turning, but before he could make his leave, he found himself face to face with someone he'd never seen before. A blond man in a fitted suit with two curious spots on his forehead. Behind him stood Allen Walker, someone Lavi never wanted to see again. Lavi's expression hardened. It was a set-up.

"So you're the Noah's Bookman," the blond stated, not taking his eyes off Lavi.

Lavi grinned. He knew he had no chance of playing the simple Bookman card after what his old man had told the Order. They always knew. He never had a chance from the start. "That's a new name for me, Two-spots ."

His eyebrow twitched. "Two-spots?"

Lavi turned, ignoring the response from the blond. "I got business t' do. 'scuse me."

The blond sharply placed a hand on Lavi's shoulder.

"I'd rather not fight," Lavi objected, his expression falling flat. He had no idea what Allen was capable of, nor this new blond two-spotted character, and he didn't want to be on the receiving end to find out. After what the seemingly kindhearted Allen had done to Tyki, Lavi never wanted to fight him.

"We just want to talk," Allen finally spoke up. There was so much that needed to be said. He needed to know the truth. This redheaded Bookman was a mystery to him, as much as the reverse was true. After that verbal explosion in the tower of Noah's Ark, Allen was actually concerned about him.

Lavi glanced past the blond. The last person Lavi wanted to talk to was Allen. He'd caused enough trouble, luring him into a false sense of hope in the forest and playing the good guy while attempting to exorcise Tyki. "There's nothin' t' talk about." Why did everyone want to talk? Talking had gotten him nowhere so far. He had grown tired of talking to these Exorcists.

"What you said in the Ark, about Bookman," Allen spoke sincerely. "Bookman didn't say anything, just that he had an apprentice working on another record. No one knew where you were until about a year and a half ago."

Lavi stared flatly at Allen. That sounded a lot like something the old man would do, more so than feeding the Order information. But that left questions yet unanswered. "Yet you knew who I was before I even spoke."

"Bookman didn't say a thing. The generals figured it out," he replied. "Then I meet a human not being attacked by akuma. I pieced it together." Allen wasn't stupid. He could see the facts laid out before him.

Lavi paused. What if it were true? He turned to look at Bookman who simply nodded in reply. It was true. The old man didn't need to say a word to know that was what he meant. All that Bookman had said in the Ark only seemed to support it. Bookman was simply recording the other side so that the Clan had the full story. For now, he'd take that as truth. For now, he'd believe that Bookman was still the same person he knew.

The Order was another story. Kanda attempted to kill Lavi on several occasions. And Allen tried to kill Tyki. He couldn't trust the Order, no matter what they said. They'd gone too far. "And what 'bout Kanda's attempts t' kill me?"

Allen shook his head. "I can't explain that." He was visibly surprised to hear there was more than one attempt.

If only Lavi knew that the threat wasn't the Order but instead the Vatican. Central. It was they who put the hit out on him, using the one Exorcist had no qualms about killing the enemy. Lavi was too much of a threat for their plans. Both the blond and Bookman knew of this plan, and Bookman wanted to protect Lavi with everything he had. The old man considered telling Lavi of the underlying plot by the Vatican, but that sort of information might just push his apprentice over the edge. He wanted to salvage anything he could and return his apprentice to the junior Bookman he knew.

"Lavi," Bookman finally spoke up. "Consider what I said. Continuing on may be too dangerous."

"I'm finishin' my record, old man," Lavi stated calmly, turning to leave. If this were true, then his old man, his mentor, could be trusted. "After this war's over, we'll talk." By then, Lavi would be certain Bookman was still the mentor he knew.

In truth, he hoped the Noah would be victorious. Lavi would be able to record different histories that didn't involve the monotony of wars. And he wanted to see the Noah alive. However, he couldn't tell the Noah his conversation with Bookman and Allen just yet. He wasn't sure how they'd take it. Yet since Rhode had probed Bookman's mind, maybe she already knew.

The redhead left the group, considering both Allen and Bookman's words. He wanted to see this record through. This record was far too different than any other record he'd experienced. He'd invested a great deal into this and couldn't pull himself away. The Order and its Exorcists were his enemies. They tried to kill him. They took the old man's words, twisted them, and used them for their own sinister purposes. They deserved to die. Once Bookman was no longer one of them, then Lavi would return to his apprenticeship. But for now, he was with the Noah. It would be hard to separate himself from them, he wasn't even sure he could do it, but that was the life of a Bookman, moving from record to record. And perhaps he'd have lifetime allies with the Noah to help with his future records.

For now, he and the old man had to go their two separate ways, recording both sides of a secret war, one which was likely to kill the other side and the Bookman with it.

He rounded the corner to find Rhode plowing into him excitedly. This was why he couldn't leave yet. The Noah were his family, even if only temporarily. They protected him from the Order and told him of the hidden history. He'd revel in every moment he could spend with them.

"Lavi~ !" she exclaimed. "Where have you been?"

"Got delayed," Lavi smiled down at her.

Rhode reached up and brushed his cheek. "You're bleeding!"

"It's nothin'," Lavi shrugged it off. "Let's go get lunch, 'kay?"

She giggled then took his hand, dragging him off to meet with Cyril. She knew something had happened. It was obvious. But for once, she didn't pry and simply dragged him along.


	22. The heart of a Bookman

The redhead stared at himself in the mirror. Meeting the old man face to face after three years felt different. Lavi had known him for 13 years now, but for the first time he could recall, it didn't feel like a meeting of master and apprentice. Instead it felt as if two opponents had met in a cold standstill, neither wishing to draw the first blood but instead watching from the sidelines as the events unfolded before them.

_"You're too involved."_

The old man was right. Completely. Lavi knew he was too involved in this record. He couldn't quite pinpoint when he began to develop a heart, to finally find something to melt the compassionless lump that dwelled within his chest. However, he did become aware of it when he finally gained the Noah's trust, painfully aware, and he proceeded to fight the surfacing of emotions and compassions, the human attachments he had long since left behind.

Undoubtedly his old panda-faced master could easily see the change in Lavi just by looking at him. Strangely, Lavi found himself not concerned with this whatsoever. It was a year ago he finally stopped fighting with his heart and instead allowed it to grow and flourish.

_"It's like having a little human brother around."__  
__"He's more like us."__  
__"You're with us now. We'll keep you safe."_

That was when he stopped fighting. He could pinpoint it to that series of events; right after Kanda had tried to sever him in two. Tyki and Rhode stayed with him, helped him back to health, and accepted him as one of their own. It seemed to be the same time the two Noah drew closer to him as well.

To feel like family. It was something he never felt before, and he wasn't about to readily give it up. He took part in family events and supported the family affairs, even the darker ones. He enjoyed the darker ones more, as they made for more interesting tales and were simply more enjoyable. He couldn't pinpoint when this twisted side had surfaced, but he found himself embracing this as well. As a result his record had become somewhat biased and slightly muddied, yet he continued to record the tale as if nothing had changed. He had in his possession the rarest record the Bookman Clan could ever dream of obtaining, and it was all his. Only his.

"Lavi." The voice jarred him from his thoughts. How long had the redhead been staring at the mirror with a half-tied bowtie and an unbuttoned jacket?

"What's taking so long? You know the Earl doesn't like being late," Tyki frowned, phasing through the door intrusively, already fully dressed in formal attire, top hat and gloves included. His long hair was pulled back into a low ponytail with two strands framing either side of his face, one stray strand dividing his forehead in two.

Lavi smiled, tying his bowtie. After numerous outings, Lavi had become quite adept at tying it quickly. He could observe people tying bowties but it was the mechanics and dexterity required to get it properly sitting and not strangling him which had eluded him for months.

"My hair's gettin' kinda long," he commented, pushing his bangs to the side, observing their length in the mirror. Turning, Lavi rummaged through a drawer in the desk nearby, Tyki observing curiously from a distance, and pulled out a small pair of scissors. He trimmed some off the front, leaving just enough to frame his face and conveniently obscure most of the eyepatch. Keeping it out of sight reduced the number of inquiries about it, although he generally evaded the question and redirected the subject.

Tyki stared blatantly. "Rhode's going to notice."

"I've been trimmin' it for years 'n she hasn't said a thing," Lavi brushed aside the warning, returning the scissors to their home in his desk.

"Lately, she's had a thing for long hair," Tyki added, thinking about his own hair. He wanted it cut, but she'd probably throw a fit, and her fits were more disastrous than a normal human child was capable of. "That's why Cyril has his so long."

"It's just the front," Lavi frowned, retrieving his gloves from the dresser. The back could wait, even if put him at the mercy of Rhode. Probably not. He shrugged, opening the door and heading down the hallway with Tyki in tow.

…

The carriage ride to the Camelot household was a quiet one. The day was rainy and dreary. Children hopped about in the puddles as their parents scolded them for getting their clean clothes dirty. Lavi sat beside Tyki, the Earl across from them musing over whatever preoccupied his mind. The Bookman reasoned it might be the recent events concerning the original Ark and the Akuma Egg. He seemed rather irate with it. Even Lulu Bell was horribly bitter. The egg had been destroyed right within her own grasp by the Exorcists, and she quite possibly blamed herself for the shattered result.

The carriage pulled to a stop, and the driver opened the door, holding an umbrella so they wouldn't find themselves soaked and miserable for the entire duration of the party. Lavi exited last. He preferred to be behind the crowd so he could observe all the members, not simply those in front of him. The servants were always behind him and often to his right side, much to his own irritation, as he couldn't see them but could feel someone there.

The Camelot mansion was decorated lavishly, with a large assemblage of nobles bustling about in the ballroom. Lavi greeted many of the partygoers with a broad alluring smile, a polite bow, and a bit of Japanese, requesting the latest gossip in the area. Rarely did he obtain useful information, yet today was one of those days. Local rumor spoke of a phantom thief in Paris who stole artifacts from museums and noblemen. Carrying the alias Phantom Thief G, the thief remained at large, leaving decoys in the hands of the police. Similar stories arose from other guests, and Lavi found himself wondering if this were somehow a rogue Exorcist. He could bring up the notion to the Earl on a later occasion.

"Look at Tyki," Cyril grinned, leaning against the balcony railing on the second floor, looking out on the crowd assembled in the ballroom. "Everyone's courting him."

"He sure is popular~," Rhode agreed, sitting on the railing with her feet propped up on the rail, chewing on a rather large lollipop.

"He's got more people fawnin' over him than usual."

Rhode and Cyril's attention snapped back to the balcony to find the redhead standing at Rhode's feet, leaning on the railing. The two Noah had taken their attention off Lavi for mere moments to muse about Tyki, but there certainly wasn't enough time for him to ascend the stairs and arrive at the railing unnoticed. This wasn't the first time he'd done something of this nature either. The skill he possessed to sneak up on the Noah was amazing, and still none of them had figured out how exactly he pulled it off perfectly every time.

Rhode stared at him for a moment then frowned sourly. "Lavi, you cut your hair!"

…**.**

**Author's notes:**

A happy chapter yay! This parallels the party briefly seen in chapter 157 and the scene at the end of the anime.


	23. Evolution and Conspiracy

The past month had been pure chaos. The Ark had been raided by the Exorcists, the Order had stolen the Akuma egg, and then the Exorcists destroyed it when Lulu Bell had gone to retrieve it. Lavi still had little information about the Egg, though he well understood it was incredibly important to the Noah.

He'd first heard word of the Egg during his tour of the Ark. Rhode had called it the origin of the Akuma, but he could tell there was something more important about it than Rhode was letting on. It certainly had to be to send Lulu Bell into the heart of the Order disguised as a scientist to retrieve it, and then to send a Level 4 Akuma in to stop the Exorcists from stopping Lulu Bell and completely decimate the Order. Lavi only had half the story and he could even tell it had been a complete and total mess. The Exorcists had survived, Lavi reasoned after encountering the odd group on the street recently.

"You're making a new Egg, right, my lord?" Cyril inquired concern tugging at his face. "How is that coming?"

"It's acceptable," the Earl replied, retrieving the bowl of sugar cubes on the table. He frowned, twisting his human features into somewhat of a knot. "What bothers me more is the Order investigating the Egg. They don't know the meaning behind the akuma's evolution, and I'd rather it stay that way~."

To be truthful, Lavi wasn't entirely sure himself. The akuma had remained a mystery so far. He knew they could evolve but there was more to it, and that tantalized the Bookman. There were so many secrets he had yet to know about the Noah, so many questions still unanswered.

"Sh," Rhode placed a finger on her lips, comfortably nestled in Cyril's lap, a rather sly smile drawn across her small features. Had she been hearing his thoughts? Lavi blinked, returning his attention to the conversation, taking another sip of tea, watching curiously as the Earl piled sugar cube upon sugar cube into his tea as he spoke about the mysterious Heart. The powerful Innocence also had Lavi curious. It was hiding and no one knew where, not Noah nor Exorcist.

"I know the Heart has awakened," the Earl frowned, piling a few more sugar cubes in his teacup. "It's alive, living and breathing in this infested world." But it wasn't just the Heart which concerned them. It was the evolution of Lenalee and Allen's Innocence, as well. It had evolved beyond expectation, causing more trouble than it was worth. Tyki could attest to this.

The Earl piled more and more sugar cubes into his tea then took a sip.

"That's too much sugar," Rhode frowned.

Lavi stared as well, unsure of how the Earl could tolerate so much sugar and not go into some sort of sugar coma. He shifted his attention to the papers the Earl had laid out. Attached to each was a photo of an Exorcist. The pile consisted of Allen Walker, a strange looking redhead by the name of Cross Marian, and Lenalee Lee. The Bookman obtained the top paper, skimming it over and stopping suddenly.

"The 14th. Allen Walker? No way…" It made some sense really. That Allen Walker seemed to shift personalities faster than Lavi switched aliases. But why would a Noah be with the Exorcists? What did he truly do to betray the Earl and the Noah?

"What exactly did he do?" Tyki rubbed his chin curiously. He was strangely in the same boat as Lavi, left without the full story of the 14th and the Earl.

"He tried to kill the Earl," Rhode replied visibly upset with bitterness in her words. "He's probably still trying."

There was so much more to this 14th than Lavi could have ever imagined. He knew the 14th had betrayed them but this was much more than simply chaining down the Ark and fleeing. He had also attempted murder. If anything, the 14th was the villainous player in this record. Even more interestingly, Allen Walker was involved.

Every encounter with Allen was incredibly bizarre. He had been the only Exorcist to ever really tell Lavi what was going on, at least to what seemed the fullest extent of his knowledge. He never once attacked Lavi but instead seemed to reach out to him with an open mind. Yet at the same time, Allen Walker tried to exorcise the Noah inside Tyki as if it were some sort of demonic possession. He nearly killed Tyki, leaving horrific scars in its wake.

Who is this Allen Walker really? What was his true face?

"Since I found out Allen was an instrument of the 14th, I've been having dreams," the Earl confessed, "wondering why I didn't kill him that day we first met, but I wake up in the middle."

Right now, more than any other time the Bookman had observed the Earl, he seemed most human than ever. He showed sincere concern for his family, speaking seriously instead of whimsically, which was such a rarity in itself. He dreamt, which was more than Lavi could say about himself, and the dreams even bothered him. Lavi could see that quite clearly as the Earl once again piled sugar cubes into a fresh cup of tea. He was human, not a villain with the world against him.

"This 14th sure causes a lot'a trouble," Lavi admitted, returning the document to its original place on the table.

"More trouble than he's worth," Tyki frowned, leaning back in his patio chair. He was tempted to pull out a cigarette and start smoking in frustration, but this hardly seemed the place. He instead resorted to pouring himself another cup of tea. Pity he didn't have a thing to spike it with.

"We still have the upper hand, however," the Earl interjected, breaking the mood. "Others are awakening ."

"Others…" Lavi mused aloud. Of course there had to be, if 14th indicated any sort of count of the Noah family. Counting Jasdebi as two, he'd met seven and the Earl. They all accepted him as part of the family in their own unusual way, except for Skinn, who never wanted anything to do with Lavi. He was consumed by so much anger and hatred that Lavi generally stayed clear of him in return.

This was a prime opportunity to expand his record of the Noah family, but also expand his own personal family as well. But would the new family members accept him as theirs as the current members have?

"Soon the whole family should awaken," the Earl took a long sip of his overly sugared tea. "The Exorcists will soon be buried under the weight of their own war~ ," he added, grinning in a pleasant manner yet speaking with bitterness and harshness.

Finally an end to wars. _All_ wars. Lavi wasn't a Noah but he would do what he could to give the Noah an advantage. Three years ago, influencing his record and curbing a war in his record's favor would have been out of the question, but now was completely a different story. He was part of the family, and the Noah family protected its members. Besides, his own mentor was curbing his side of the war, fighting in the front lines with the Exorcists. That fact alone completely validated Lavi's reason to curb the war into his side's favor. After all, it was all for the sake of history, right?

Silence swept across the table for a brief moment, and Lavi seized the opportunity to change the subject into one he'd been meaning to discuss. "I've heard an interestin' rumor lately," he stated, setting his teacup on the table. "Half the guests at the party had heard'a this same rumor."

"Lavi's always finds good rumors~" Rhode mused, migrating from Cyril's lap to Lavi's. He allowed her to nestle comfortably there, while he drank his tea as if nothing unusual had occurred.

"This one particularly caught my interest," Lavi continued. "A thief in Paris goin' by the name of Phantom Thief G. Seems wherever he goes, he leaves an unsuspectin' person in his place. Apparently the replacement doesn't know how he got there either. Sounds almost like this thief's been possessin' people t' do his work."

"Possessing?" Rhode echoed, dropping sugar cubes into her tea then stirring them about with a spoon. The cubes chased each other around in circles, almost like a dance in her teacup.

"Do you think it's Innocence?" Cyril mused, retrieving a few biscuits from the basket on the table.

"If it is," the Earl stated, knitting his gloved hands together, a broad smirk spanning his features, "we can't lose the perfect opportunity to crush it "

Thunder rumbled across the sky, jarring any plans of an extended conversation. With a sigh, the Earl looked up to the sky to see lightning chain across the clouds, jumping from one cloud to the next, forming a bright web across the sky. He rose to his feet. "Come, Lavi. I have something to show you."

…**.**

**Author's notes:**

This is a parallel to that scene in the manga where the Noah all gather on the patio for tea and Noah talk. I didn't write down what chapter it was. Oops.

Also, it was a consistent joke within my DGM RP circle that Tyki always spiked his tea with hard liquor.


	24. Level 4

"Come, Lavi. I have something to show you."

Those few words always piqued the Bookman's interest, and so he followed the Earl as he left the patio, returning inside to a door leading to the Ark.

Lavi hadn't been to the Ark much, and his last visit turned out poorly. But this time, there were no Exorcists, and it was the newly recreated Ark. There was so much he didn't know about the Ark or the akuma yet. Any offer on behalf of the Earl was a new opportunity to learn something useful and interesting for his record and a good way to satiate some of that curiosity about the Noah and their mysterious ways of living.

The Ark didn't look that different from the one Rhode had shown him not too long before. The hallways of the building were lined with paintings of unknown people, perhaps members of the family in the past. They appeared to be human but Lavi wasn't entirely certain that was the case. Between the paintings were windows revealing the outside area to the inside hallway. Once again, the Ark greatly resembled the hill of a sea-side Mediterranean city, dotting the hillside with buildings with arched window ways and a sole tower sitting on its peak.

Lavi had never been in this hallway. It seemed to stretch forever in front of them, stretching farther than Lavi could really see. The Earl happily skipped in front of the group, humming the same familiar tune he and Rhode had both hummed before. Rhode, Cyril, and Tyki had followed Lavi and the Earl curiously. They weren't sure of what this surprise was either.

Tyki finally broke the silence between the four of them with a fairly random subject. "I'm thinking of cutting my hair." It had gotten long since that day when he fought the Exorcists and while it had been trimmed, it still was long enough to require being pulled back into a low ponytail. But it seemed that was the wrong thing to say as he soon received a very sharp, swift punch in the side.

"No you won't!" Rhode shouted at him. "Cut it and die!"

Tyki frowned sharply and rubbed his side gingerly. For someone so small, Rhode could certainly hit hard. Cyril naturally fawned over how strong and cute Rhode was.

"The same goes for you, Lavi!" she scowled at the Bookman. "Grow your hair out!"

Lavi blinked, turning to look at her over his shoulder. He'd never had long hair before. This was the longest he'd ever had it, and it got in the way as it was. However, he could tell by her scowl that she was absolutely serious. He knew better than to make her upset as it would probably result in brain damage, for all he knew. She had a horrible temper. Lavi turned back around, watching the Earl skip about cheerily before them, seemingly oblivious to the conversation behind him. "Sure..."

For a moment, the group in tow was silent, only the eerie tune the Earl whistled audible within the hallways. Then the silence was abruptly shattered when Cyril finally spoke up. He wrapped an arm around Lavi's shoulders with a rather broad smile drawn across his sharp features. This couldn't be good.

"You know, Lavi-pon~~, we should find you a loving wife~" he pointed out.

Lavi nearly choked on his own tongue. "Ya gotta be kiddin'." While he did flirt with the women at the parties, it was solely to get information. Nothing more. He felt nothing for them, as his heart lacked compassion for humanity. Still.

Tyki laughed. "I can't really see Lavi as the marrying type." That seemed to be something suited for Cyril more than any of them. Not even the Earl had a wife to speak of. Tyki couldn't see him ever taking one, either.

"We should find you a wife, too~!" Cyril suddenly turned his attention to his younger brother as he wrapped an arm around the other.

"I don't think so," Tyki shot back, frowning. It wasn't the first time Cyril had brought the subject up. In fact, he'd brought it up several times, usually at dinner, and on each occasion, Tyki turned down the idea quickly.

"Oh but it's such a great life~!" Cyril fawned, clasping his hands together with a blissful sigh. "A humble wife, a cute daughter, and a white dog. It's so perfect! I can't get enough!" That spiel lead to fawning over Rhode who continued to feed into it. She enjoyed the attention, and Cyril was overjoyed to give it.

Lavi found their relationship really unusual. The Bookman honestly had no idea how old Rhode truly was. It was one of those important details he was still missing. He knew she was first born, which as far as he could tell, meant she was actually the oldest. Lately he'd considered the possibility that first born meant that she was the first Noah to awaken. It was a piece of the puzzle he was simply told to wait on. 'You'll know in time, Lavi,' they told him. He could wait, however, as there was so much information from the past alone he could easily occupy his time until then.

The Earl stopped at the entrance to a rather large room. It appeared to be empty, but Lavi felt as though hundreds of eyes stared back at them from the darkness. Before them, within a light which mysteriously appeared in the center from some unknown light source, stood something.

That something looked like a defunct angel. At least that was the first thought which arrived at the Bookman's mind. Its belly sagged and body was incredibly wrinkled, yet its head looked like that of a baby doll with an akuma star planted square on its forehead. Wing-like protrusions spanned from its back and two round circles resembling halos floated above its head. A large akuma star decorated its inflated stomach. Black designs decorated its doll-like ball-jointed extremities. The shadows danced off its body and face, giving it an incredibly eerie and hollow appearance.

For once, Lavi had to admit he was a bit terrified.

Rhode threw herself at the Earl from behind Lavi. "A Level 4! How exciting!" she grinned eerily as she hung herself from the Earl's shoulders.

So this creature was a Level 4 akuma. The Bookman had only seen a handful of Level 3s and heard of the Level 4 which was used to invade the Order, but seeing one in person was a whole different story. The presence was overwhelming. Merely standing there, Lavi could feel its power. He was incredibly thankful he was with the Noah, not against them. The poor pathetic Exorcists would have to face this creation. He almost wanted to see it. Almost. The result of the fight must be devastating.

"This for the Phantom Thief?" Lavi inquired, finally speaking up. His voice was strong, quite opposite of how he truly felt. He could feel his hands shaking. It felt as though, if he hadn't been wearing that cross, the creature would tear him apart and eat him without a second thought. He shoved his hands seemingly casually into his pockets. No one had to know how much this thing shook him up.

"Surely those Exorcists have heard the rumor too," the Earl stated with a threatening tone. "I'll crush them and this Phantom Thief at the same time~ "


	25. Absence

Lavi stared up at the building, a hood pulled over his bright red hair, effectively concealing his identity. It was a chilly day in Paris as he stood before an orphanage. He'd seen Allen Walker, that horrible Kanda Yuu, and the blond with the peculiar spots on his forehead enter the building not too much earlier. They didn't seem to pay him any mind, fortunately for him, and the four seemingly normal people he stood outside with. Inside, however, Lavi knew this was where he'd tracked the rumors of the Phantom Thief to. Inside there somewhere was a potential Exorcist. How he would like to record the battle, but being trapped in there with Exorcists who wanted his own life was a bad idea. A very bad idea.

Only a few hours before had the Earl pulled Lavi aside. The events still replayed freshly in his mind, his heart aching as he recalled them.

_"Lavi-pon, there is something you should know~." The Earl seemed quite serious, which seemed to happen much more often lately._

"Yeah?" Lavi returned with an inquisitive look.

"Rhode learned some interesting information recently I think you should know," the Earl stated. "The reason why the Order is after you."

Lavi dropped the book from his hands, hitting the floor with a loud thud. He was shocked. Rhode had told him many things, but why not something as important as this? "Why hadn't she said anything?"

"She didn't want to hurt you, Lavi-pon~," he replied. "But I feel it's best you know~." He looked at the Bookman over his glasses. "The Vatican finds you a threat because you're with us and you know too much. To them, you're no better than an Akuma~~."

Lavi stared blankly at the Earl for a moment. They wanted to kill him because of his knowledge? What were they thinking? That was what a Bookman was: secret information. It was their initiative, their being, their existence. Without it, Bookmen were nothing but ordinary historians. They wanted to hide the truth, didn't they? Damn that Vatican.

"But never fear, Lavi-pon~_" The Earl added with a smile, patting Lavi's head. "You're family. They can't take you from us~__"_

That just meant he'd have to become stronger. He wasn't about to let the Vatican kill him, even if his old man wasn't stopping them. Lavi watched the four human-skinned akuma walk through the barrier of the building into the orphanage then he slipped back into the shadows.

…

The redhead stood in the garden amongst the flowers and the trees. It seemed like a pretty decent place to try something new. He twisted the hammer in his hand between his fingers and his thumb a few times before bringing it up to full size. There had to be something else he could learn with this hammer that would keep himself alive. This pacifistic stance wasn't doing him any good. Not getting involved was no longer an option. He was being dragged down further and further into the situation, unable to find a way out, so he simply had to make an exit himself. He had to take control. And to do so, he needed to learn the elements this dark matter hammer of his held. He needed to be on par with those who were after his life, or at least have a more effective means of escaping and concealing himself.

He'd pondered the idea of elements several times. There were many cultures with many different elements, but he'd become fond of Buddhist elements. Void and Aether, Fire, Wind, Water, and Air.

Void and Aether, the presence of nothing and the presence of everything. Two complete opposites. Of all the elements, Void seemed the most useful and something he hadn't truly considered until now. But what did Void actually look like? It wasn't really anything.

Lavi pondered for a moment, tapping a finger against his lips. Void. Void. Void. He closed his eyes and just imagined whatever first came to mind. A dragon. Why a dragon? Suddenly he felt something wrap around his arms, coiling quite tightly. His eyes snapped open and Lavi found himself staring down a dragon which appeared to be emanating from his hammer. It was charcoal gray with the consistency of a cloud, wispy and puffy.

"Void...?" he mumbled at it. Was this the element itself? He looked down as the puff wrapped itself around his arms and hands, finding that his hands seemed to simply disappear as if they never existed in the first place. That was it. The presence of nothing. "Let's see what you can do." Lavi waved his hand around and the dragon seemed to trace his movements, concealing whatever it covered, as if it weren't even there. He called it back and the dragon wrapped itself around his arm, his arm disappearing in its puffy wake. It was amazing how something with such a loose consistency could conceal practically everything around it. "Wonder what I should call ya."

"How about Cloud Dragon?" stated a voice, followed by arms wrapping around his shoulders, the freshly painted black nails glistening in the afternoon sunlight.

Lavi grinned, knowing the hands always belonged to Rhode even if she did try to sneak up on him. "Nah, I think I need somethin' more impressive than that, Rhode" he laughed. "Given the circumstances, I need somethin' powerful anyway."

Rhode frowned harshly. "Sennen-ko told you, didn't he?" Why did he have to go and do that?

Lavi nodded, his smile falling. "It's better that I know, yeah? I don't like to be left in the dark." He hated that. Lavi wanted to know what was going on and if it somehow involved his own life, the more knowledge, the better. "I'm not gonna stand back 'n take it. I'll protect myself."

Rhode grinned somewhat eerily. It was most definitely a Noah grin, from ear to ear. While Rhode wanted to protect her little human brother, she was pleased to hear Lavi was planning on fighting for himself. It was definitely something she didn't expect from him, given his stance not to interfere. Then again, his life was at stake here. "Tell ya what, Lavi. I'll help you practice with that new skill of yours!"

Lavi grinned. "Oh yeah? How?"

She slipped from behind him and appeared in front of him, her form pulling the ground up. Of course this wasn't her true form, but Lavi still had no idea what her true form was in the first place. In time she'd tell him, but at times, he'd feel impatient and want to know.

With a wave of her hand, Rhode created a few illusionary Exorcists who looked like Kanda. Lavi frowned sharply. "Stop them, Lavi-chu~~" she told him with a smirk.

He really didn't like the words or even the idea of illusionary Exorcists, but he knew she wouldn't kill him. He pushed his hammer in front of him, clearing his mind and pondering the elements he knew then got an idea. Pulling the head of the hammer down to his foot, he swung it out in a wide arc, sending out a combination of water and void. However, as the void moved forward, the water seemed to disappear suddenly. Rhode tilted her head in curiosity and Lavi nearly mirrored the surprise. But sure enough, as the void passed over the fake Exorcists, the replicas found themselves quite drenched.

Rhode squealed in delight and threw herself on his shoulders. "That was so cool, Lavi~!" she giggled.

Lavi stared. So this was void. The absence of everything and presence of nothing. This element… It could be really useful in stopping any attacks by the Exorcists. This element would be his trump card.

…

**Author's notes:**

I really needed a new element for Lavi, something more fitting for his defensive stance in battle. In some cultures, Void is a natural element, with Aether (the presence of everything, absence of nothing) as its opposition.


	26. Almost Complete

"What do you think, Lavi~?" Rhode grinned ear to ear as she twirled once to show Lavi her new outfit. The white strapless dress had a skirt that resembled an upside down flower with holes in her sleeves and tights. It sure was very Rhode.

"Nice," Lavi replied. "What's the occasion?"

"The family's almost complete!" Rhode replied gleefully, offering him a box. "Everyone's finally awakening again."

It was true, though. Over the last few months, he'd met more members of the family, Noah who all seemed so different than the ones he'd come to know over the last nearly four years. He'd get to know all of them soon enough, at least that was his plan. Only two were missing now. Noah's wrath was still missing and one he didn't yet know. Who was the last one?

Lavi stared at the box and hoped dearly that it wasn't another outfit with ruffles. However, Lavi found it to be somewhat worse as he pulled it on and returned into the room. The outfit had a black shirt with a high collar but a section missing from the front in the shape of an elongated diamond, his scar from Kanda and the Noah's cross clearly visible now. There were no sleeves on the shirt but he had short fingerless black gloves to match and the shirt traced down his body, passing his hips, showing off his sleek physique.

The boots matched too. They felt different from his usual ones, more comfortable and durable, reaching up above the knee with an intricate design up the sides. The only item left white on him were his pants, the same ones he'd always worn. He chose them over the extra pants since they felt better, quite well broken in with a bit of familiarity.

He looked at himself in the mirror, tying his hair back. It had gotten long over the last few months after Rhode had quite sharply demanded he grow it longer. He kept the front somewhat trimmed but the back now reached down past his shoulders, leaving him to usually tie it back.

"It suits you," Tyki snickered. Lavi turned sharply and frowned at him, only to find Tyki had been doomed to a similar outfit completely in white, the scars he'd received from Allen's blade quite clearly visible. Tyki patted his human brother on the head. "Looks like ya have to suffer right along with us."

"Hey!" Rhode fussed, pushing her lips up into a pout. "I like these outfits!"

"You're the only one," Tyki frowned, pulling at his. "But Boss is calling. We have something to do, Rhode. We'll be back, Lavi." He ruffled his brother's hair.

Lavi frowned. Why weren't they taking him with them?

…

The Bookman sighed. It was deadly quiet without anyone in the house, save the akuma servants, who were generally quiet anyway. The outfit was bad enough but to be left alone without a clue what the rest of the family was doing was absolutely excruciating. He shuffled down the hall, book in hand, heading for the kitchen. Tea was calling him.

As he rounded the corner he found himself staring face to hair belonging to someone he'd never seen before. Messy white hair, grayed skin, strange white outfit, a long striped bandanna neatly folded to reveal three peculiar eyes on his forehead, each one staring at him.

"Noah's Bookman," he said suddenly.

Lavi nearly dropped the book he was carrying. How did he know? Who was this kid and why was he staring at him? Large hands wrapped around his shoulders. Lavi nearly jumped to the ceiling, too distracted by the kid to notice someone had walked up behind him.

"Ohoho~ . So you've now met our very own Bookman~" the Earl grinned from behind Lavi. "Lavi-pon~, this is Wisely, Noah's wisdom."

"Nice t' meetcha," Lavi grinned, pushing the obvious amounts of surprise aside. Wisdom. This kid, while somewhat freaky, might be an interesting Noah to speak with. Perhaps he'd have more insight on the family and its inner workings, perhaps a few juicy secrets as well.

"Likewise." Wisely could read Lavi like a book. This kid was definitely the Noah's Bookman in every way possible. He had considered the Earl had been controlling Lavi, but on looking slightly deeper he learned Lavi was of his own free will and was dearly hated by the Exorcists. "Join us then. I have something to tell everyone."

…

Including the Earl, the Noah sat at the table, only one chair remained empty. The Earl sat at the head, Wisely at the foot. Even the twins had shown up. It was quite a sight to see that many Noah in one place. The power that was in this room alone was intense. The Exorcists had no idea what was coming. Lavi, contrary to the rest, stood against the wall, his arms folded across the strange shirt Rhode had forced upon him earlier that day. He wasn't going to miss this for the world. He didn't want to impede on the meeting, so he simply stood on the sidelines, yet at the same time, he had a strange desire to sit among them.

"Lavi-pon~ , what are you doing?" the Earl spoke up, turning to the Bookman's form, barely visible on the edge of the room.

Lavi's attention shifted to the Earl sharply. "Huh?"

He patted the table in front of the empty seat next to him. "Sit. You're family~ ."

He had considered objecting but offending the Earl was the last thing on his mind. There was also that strange feeling of acceptance he had been invited to sit among the Noah. There were a few confused looks from some of the newer members, but the originals simply grinned. They'd come to know him as their younger human brother and to have him at the table was perfectly acceptable. He dressed like them, wore their emblem; they wondered why he wasn't in that seat in the first place.

The family meeting quickly resumed once Lavi had taken his seat, and Rhode had taken it upon herself to cling to his arm happily. He was hers, after all.

Wisely had information. Very good information which could curb the war in their favor easily. "In the American branch of the Order, a project has been going on to create artificial Exorcists by combining Akuma and humans. They've been successful in creating such abominations by experimenting on their own allies."

Experimenting on their own kind? Lavi had heard and seen so many twisted ideas manifesting in war to give one side an advantage but to experiment on their own allies? There was something rather sickening about that. Humans could be so disgusting at times.

"The Alma Karma was the first successful hybrid," Wisely continued. "He's been stuck in a suspended state for years. The second serves the Order."

Lavi couldn't help wonder where Wisely had retrieved this information, but he was the Noah's Wisdom. He had to have learned it somewhere. Or he just knew. The latter seemed more the case. The more he listened to Wisely speak of these experiements, the more Lavi found himself becoming disgusted with the Order, almost to the point of feeling physically sick. The conspiracy to kill him, their attempts at killing the Noah, and now this. He felt like he was going to throw up.

Glancing around the table, Lavi found several of the Noah were frowning, disgusted, as well. He wasn't alone in his thought of how despicable the Order really was. The older Noah seemed uneasy but the news wasn't entirely unexpected. Tyki seemed more shocked than anything else. Some of the newer members seemed incredibly displeased with the Order's work, others outright disgusted.

"The plan?" Wisely continued, his expression remaining somewhat flat as he knitted his hands in front of him on the table. "We use the active second to wake the sleeping one and use them both to destroy the Order."

…

**Author's notes:**

Surprise time jump! This is a parallel to manga chapter 187 when Hoshino-sensei seems to jump time and amass almost all the Noah together suddenly. I couldn't quite picture for what Lavi had been doing during that time jump (except observing and being dragged out for cake, of course), so I put a time jump in as well.


	27. First and Second

Nestled deep within the valley stood a black pyramid surrounded by four decorated pylons. Wind swept across the valley, tugging at the tails of the Earl's jacket. He was human once again, not wearing the suit of the Earl. It was strange to see him in such a form, given the location where they stood. Normally he'd expect the menacing face of the Earl, grinning broadly with something devious always on his mind. The Earl had always been such an enigma to him. But that wasn't what caught the Bookman's attention the most. It was that building in the valley before them. Lavi stared at it, taking in the entirety of the scene. "That's the Order, huh."

"The North American branch," the Earl added. "The location of Alma Karma."

The idea of Alma Karma just didn't sit well with Lavi one bit. He'd seen some pretty disturbing things a leader would do to his people to make them stronger, but this far outweighed everything he'd observed. The closest association he had for the Vatican, the Order, and their little experiments was Vlad the Impaler.

In order to keep order, Vlad would impale those who broke his laws on a pike while they were still alive as a warning not to disobey him. It was savage but extremely effective, and strangely enough, inspired the Dracula story. He tucked the information into the recesses of his mind, frowning.

"Nothing quite as sad as friends fighting," The Earl shrugged, running his fingers along the brim of his top hat. "Just like with the 14th." He looked down for a moment, seemingly staring at something on the ground.

"Heartbreaking," Road agreed, clinging to the Earl's shoulder in the form of the doll.

The memory overtook the Earl, throwing him into almost a fit of despair. It was times like this the Earl seemed so human. But as quickly as it came, the despair passed on, though not without a bit of coercing by Rhode. The Earl regained his composure, taking to his feet once again. The pain the 14th had caused was intense, driving at the Earl's heart like a drill he couldn't remove. But now wasn't the time for pining over the past. Now was the time for action.

The earl raised his hand towards the sky, offering a silent command. A triangle appeared in the sky and dozens of forms shot down from the shape. Level 4 Akuma. There were so many. Those things still gave Lavi the creeps, staring eerily at the Order with such malice.

"As the Millennium Earl," he stated, holding his cane out pointing towards the Order, "I cannot rest until I find the 'heart' and bring their false God down into darkness." The form of the Earl formed around his human form, engulfing him in menacing, rotund attire. "I cannot stop, no matter what~ "

In a flurry of light, the akuma quickly took down the pylons surrounding the black pyramid, quickly crumbling them. Sirens blared. So much for a sneak attack, but Lavi never quite expected one. This was the Earl after all. He never seemed to be one for a subtle entrance.

Under the veil of chaos courtesy of the Akuma laying siege to the place, Rhode, Lavi, and the Earl slipped inside the Order and into an inner chamber. The chamber was round with arched doors leading down some hallway. Lavi observed the room, taking in the details of the architecture, wondering its purpose until he looked down to observe the floor. The place had the feel of a high gothic cathedral, though with noticeably absent motifs and stained glass.

Some sort of markings spanned most of the glass-like floor, painted in a very meticulous manner. It was a seal and beneath it lay dormant a person… no, what once was a person, a shell of its former self, stitched together like a patchwork quilt. The First. This had to be the first hybrid, trapped below the floor like a twisted decoration.

For the first time since his entry into this supernatural war, Lavi felt sick. Hearing about the Order's atrocities was one thing. Seeing it in person was something entirely different. He stared at the person under the floor. This was a result of _their_ creation. The non-interference policy of the Bookman had been left behind somewhere in the recesses of the redhead's mind. It was too late for that after the Order made the first move against him. This Order, this so-called assemblage of God's apostles, needed to be destroyed. No one capable of this should exist.

A sudden impact of something against the floor jarred Lavi from his thoughts. He looked up to see Cyril dropping some sort of box unceremoniously onto the floor. "What's in the box?" Lavi stared at it curiously.

"Oh just a little something to guarantee our guest will arrive~," Cyril replied, his expression twisting into a rather devious yet amused smirk.

Curiosity beat at the back of Lavi's mind, but he'd learned to be more patient with the Noah, simply watching as their plan unfolded. He rarely knew the entirety of any plan from the get-go, but in the end he'd observed the entire story. The Earl was an incredibly secretive and enigmatic man, especially when it came to plans. He often talked in metaphors and laughed at the most bizarre, often inappropriate moments, but he always had something up his sleeve. It was something which intrigued Lavi to no end, something which always kept the Bookman interested and on his toes.

A gate opened, catching Lavi's attention, and through it walked Wisely, yet another enigma of the Noah family, carrying someone draped over his shoulder. Earlier, Wisely had stated bringing the Second and First together would destroy the Order. The Second must be his prize which now hung limp like a ragdoll, the long dark purple hair falling down over a brown cloak.

Wisely dropped the body onto the floor. It crumpled for a brief second before gravity kicked in and unfolded the body into a purple and brown mess of hair and cloak.

Lavi stared at it. "Is he dead?" Truthfully, he wasn't certain. He couldn't tell if the person was breathing or not, nor had he seen him move.

"You weren't supposed to damage him!" Rhode chimed in.

"Little punk put up a fight, so I fought back," Wisely shrugged, a bit of amusement in his voice. "He's a Second. He will be just fine."

"Don't make assumptions!" Rhode shouted back, staring at the lifeless pile with her button eyes. "It looks like you broke him!" Wisely wasn't allowed to have all the fun, after all. She wanted to play too.

Wisely poked the body with his foot, rolling him over so his face was fully visible. Blood dripped from his ear. He stared blankly forward at nothing, his mouth slightly unhinged. "I just put him in a catatonic state," Wisely added nonchalantly. "He'll be fine."

Lavi stared, observing the Second's rather creepy stare. That face… Then it hit him. Lavi almost didn't recognize him when he wasn't attempting to kill the redhead. "The second… is Kanda Yuu?!"

…**.**

**Author's note:**

This is a parallel to manga chapter 188. There's a lot left unexplained on how the Noah got into the Order so I filled it in myself. This probably takes place over a very short time but then again, when does manga time ever make sense anyway?


	28. Puppetry

Wisely flopped down next to the seemingly lifeless lump on the floor. He looked up at Lavi, seeing the events of the past, the attempted assassinations, flip quickly yet incredibly detailed through the redhead's mind.

The Bookman's face was blank for a moment as he stared at Kanda. So the Order had sent the Second after him. In a way, it did make sense strategically. They'd send someone strong who could regenerate in the event of an attack to kill the Noah's Bookman. They'd simply let him regenerate until he could do so no more. What a horrible way to die. Lavi almost felt pity for him. Almost.

"Such a long face, Lavi-pon~ " The words came with a large arm wrapped around Lavi's shoulders. The Earl chuckled. It was an interesting encounter. The Bookman and the one who wanted him dead, except this time, it was the Exorcist who was at their mercy.

"Not quite who I was expectin', yeah," Lavi stated, though in truth, he wasn't sure who or what to expect at this point.

Wisely reached over and drew back the cloak wound around Kanda's limp body, revealing some sort of mark on his shoulder. Lavi recognized the symbol as Aum. It was a sacred symbol used at the start of mantra or Vedas. It represented the Hindu Trinity – Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva – birth, life, and death. Fitting for someone who was created from some experiment then regenerated until he simply couldn't and died.

"Seems he's regenerated a lot," Wisely commented, observing the mark.

Lavi still wasn't sure where he got this information. Maybe he got it from Kanda somehow. Regardless of the source, Lavi took note of his words. The Noah's wisdom should be wise beyond all understanding anyway.

"You better not have broken him!" Rhode berated Wisely, who simply shrugged in return.

"Let's start the fun, shall we~ ?" The Earl clapped happily, bouncing on his toes with a menacing aura about him.

"With pleasure~" Cyril agreed, stepping forward into the center of the room. His smile was hollow and creepy, definitely the grin of the Noah. Lavi watched carefully, observing Cyril's stance. The redhead hadn't seen any of Cyril's abilities until now and wasn't sure what to expect. The prospect of seeing something new was always exciting, yet with the Noah, there was always that aspect of creepy along with it.

Still smirking, Cyril lifted his hands, his focus seemed to be on something Lavi couldn't quite find or see. Then he wiggled and bent his fingers in a manner similar to someone making a marionette dance across a stage.

Lavi watched his movements carefully, expecting to see fire or the like to emanate from them and travel to wherever it was he was looking. Instead, however, his attention quite quickly turned towards the door at the sound of footsteps. The redhead stepped back for a moment, but the Earl placed a hand on Lavi's shoulder. "You're about to see a grand show ," he stated, his grin seemingly larger than before. Whatever was coming, the Earl knew exactly what to expect. Lavi, however, was left in the dark.

The footsteps grew louder. The Bookman concentrated on the door, occasionally glancing back at Cyril to see the subtle shifts in his fingers, his expression unmoving. Then into the light first came a foot, then another, until the figure was fully in the light of the room. A tall man in a brown suit, a long face, and a toothbrush mustache. The man walked stiffly, his arms outstretched to the side, a glare drawn across his face. Lavi glanced back at Cyril, then to the man, then back at Cyril.

Then it hit him. Cyril's subtle movements were causing the man to walk. The Noah was manipulating the man like a human puppet. Then another came into the light, a man in a lab coat with what appeared to be tattoos of some sort on his head, in the same stance as the first. Then a woman in a double-breasted long coat. Then an Asian man with a tasseled hat. Then two more who Lavi guessed to be two scientists. They lined up, their backs against the wall, unable to move. Several glared; others appeared terrified out of their wits. Lavi watched the subtle movements and shifts in Cyril's fingers. These people were his toy soldiers, puppets at the Noah's mercy.

Cyril once again shifted his attention to something beyond Lavi's line of sight. This time, Lavi knew what to expect. More people were about to walk helplessly through that entrance then line up against the wall in this rather eerie room. The redhead watched his fingers again, listening for the footsteps in the distance. There were murmurs from those already pinned against the wall, mostly sounds of anxiety and frustration.

Then the footsteps returned. The Bookman estimated three, maybe four people this time. One by one they entered the room. First a shorter man with glasses, followed by three others, all much taller than the first. The Earl waved them in with an excited smile, which only seemed to make the group horribly nervous and frightened.

The Earl took Lavi by the shoulders then gestured in a wide sweeping motion, as if he were welcoming them to his little party. "Lavi-pon~ " the Earl stated in a chipper yet menacing tone that seemed to send a chill up the spines of several of the captives, yet Lavi himself remained unmoved. "Take a good look at them. These are the people who want you dead!"


	29. Just in time

"Take a good look at them. These are the people who want you dead!"

Those words weren't quite what Lavi had been expecting to hear. He stood stiffly for a moment. The Bookman had encountered many situations that most would deem frightening or at the very least, unnerving. However, this was his first record where someone or something wanted him dead and at this moment, he was staring that someone in the face. Lavi felt somewhat unnerved.

"That one on the end," Wisely broke the silence to answer one of the many questions rushing through Lavi's mind. "Leverrier. He gave the order."

Lavi stared at the man with the toothbrush mustache. The redhead's look of uncertainty shifted into a harsh glare. So this was the man who gave that order, the one responsible for sending that horrible Second after him.

Leverrier simply scowled back, but it was someone else who spoke up first.

"The Noah's Bookman…" the woman next to him stated somewhat quietly. There was anxiety in her voice as she observed Lavi cautiously.

"Seems they know who you are," Cyril commented, flopping down on the box he'd toted in earlier. The redhead did stick out rather blatantly against the Noah with his bright red hair and rather pale, non-gray skin. He was quite obviously not Noah but instead quite human, and yet he stood among the Noah and their Earl as if he were one of them, wearing their clothes and carrying their emblem.

Lavi had been tempted to say, _not for long_, yet he wasn't certain what the plans were for these people. He only knew of the overall plan of awakening Alma. Perhaps these people were here as temporary witnesses or sacrifices. "Seems so."

Wisely hardly paid attention to the conversation and instead stared at the bald man. The Noah tilted his head slightly, his expression calm. "That's right," he stated suddenly. All attention immediately shifted to the Noah of Wisdom. "Love and Tragedy."

The words together sounded like a Shakespearean reference, Lavi noted.

"You should all understand by now what happens when two things which should combine do, and what may come of that," Wisely continued, still seated cross-legged on the ground.

"Something which the Black Order detests," Wisely grinned eerily. "You'll be destroyed by the akuma which you yourselves created." Wisely paused dramatically, pleased with the surprised reactions spanning the captive audience.

Lavi observed the expression and reactions of each member of the audience. Most seemed horrified, a few shocked. The bald man protested, but his words fell on deaf ears. The man in the coat with the toothbrush mustache, Leverrier, only seemed to scowl harder. He hadn't said a word yet. Lavi considered the idea the man was incapable of speaking.

"That's right," Wisely continued as if answering someone's question. "I can't see into Alma's mind as he's sealed up."

Lavi reasoned it was one of the audience members who had pondered the question. Given the varied expressions, Lavi couldn't pick out which one had inquired. He wondered idly what these people knew, what stories he they had to tell. These stories were something which would remain a mystery to him. There was no way they'd speak to him, especially given the situation. Chances were his old man was learning their tales, and in turn, Lavi would learn them. If the old man survived, of course.

And so he simply observed.

"But I do wonder about this guy," Wisely added, shifting his position slightly, motioning towards Kanda who was still face down on the ground. "Can he reach Alma?"

Kanda's hand twitched slightly then drew beneath him, pushing his frame up slightly off the ground. He stared through the floor, his eyes focusing on the person beneath. Shock struck his face as if he saw Alma for the first time or attempted to gather where he was. Possibly both. Lavi observed Kanda, pondering for a moment, wondering if Cyril or Wisely was controlling his movements. No, the movements were organic. These were his own.

In a burst of energy, the Earl twirled about, grinning with glee, shattering the stale mood in the air. "The time has come for Alma Karma to rise again~ !"

Wisely frowned. "He always has to be center stage, doesn't he?" Road nodded in agreement.

"Wake up, Alma~ Karma~ !" the Earl sang, flapping around like a rooster crowing at the sunrise.

"Oh wait, wait, Earl!" Cyril interjected, his thin fingers curling around his chin. "We're still waiting on some guests, aren't we?" He patted the box with his hand. "After all, I didn't go through all this trouble to _acquire_ a Third."

So that was the contents in the box Cyril had toted in earlier. A Third. A creation of the Order's twisted science. Lavi couldn't discern if the creature were still alive or not. There were no audible sounds or noticeable movements in the box. It had been sitting on the floor for some time before Cyril turned it into a seat.

"And- Huh?" Cyril paused as a swirl of black and white manifested on the floor below the box, the number 283 appearing below Cyril's feet.

"Ah, my Ark~!" squawked the Earl. "They've come! They've come!"

"B-below?!" Cyril shouted in surprise, his eyes wide, his mouth agape. That wasn't really the plan, but they _were_ on time.

Through the portal came Tyki as if he'd leapt backwards through it in the midst of battle, one leg outstretched, the other curled beneath him. The entrance caused Cyril and the box to flip over one side and the Earl to flip over the other, losing his hat in the process.

Behind Tyki came Allen Walker. The Exorcist had a broad sword, white lined in black, in one hand and was missing the other. Lavi had never seen Allen fight but had heard Rhode speak of Allen's sword with disgust. This must be it, the weapon made from his own arm, the one which nearly killed Tyki several months ago when the Exorcists took the old Ark.

"Give me my friends back!" Allen demanded, taking a swing at Tyki who simply leapt out of the way. Allen, however, wasn't so lucky. Behind him appeared the Earl, hatless, the twisted horns on his head now clearly visible. He sneered at Allen in the most sinister manner.

"So you've come " The Earl snickered. "Just in time~"

…

Author's note:

Malcolm Leverrier. Rouvelier. Lvellie. Whatever it is. idk anymore.


	30. Hostage

"So you've come " The Earl snickered. "Just in time~"

While the Earl had expected something more sinister, he found instead Tyki and Allen coming right at him, falling from the air. "Get out of the way!" Tyki shouted, but it was too late, and the duo landed square on the Earl's stomach.

Lavi stared in disbelief as the two sunk a bit into the Earl's squishy body. The suit was surprisingly flexible, making him look like a rotund trampoline as the two bounced up and down in the air.

"Told you to move," Tyki frowned, not completely surprised with the current situation. The Earl could easily have moved out of the way if he so desired, yet for some reason, he didn't.

"E-Earl!" Allen blinked, surprised to actually be standing on him. He quickly realized Tyki had kited him along, leading him straight to the center of the Order that now seemingly belonged to the Noah.

Still standing on the Earl's squishy belly, Tyki smirked at the Exorcist, offering a large dramatic gesture. "Welcome, Allen Walker."

Allen looked around the room, a rather horrified expression brushed his features. "What is the meaning of this?!" He called several out by name, who apologized for getting captured again. Lavi noted the names with faces, keeping a record of them. This was perhaps the last time they would be recorded in history. Lavi reasoned the reference to being captured again was to when Lulu Bell had laid siege to the headquarters some time ago. So there were survivors after all.

Allen's attention shifted to the now standing Kanda Yuu, who stood almost motionless, his head down as he stared at the floor. He wasn't paying attention to Allen's inquiry of why he was there but instead completely entranced by whatever lay beneath the floor. Tyki shifted his weight, placing a hand on his hip, impatient with the current conversation.

"Jordan's camp is gone," Cyril stated, standing, placing a hand on the edge of the box. "But you know that, didn't you~? After all, you came for the Third, right?"

As Cyril lifted the box, out rolled a body rather mangled and partially bandaged. The Third almost looked human, but Lavi knew looks could be deceiving. He recalled Wisely describing the thirds as part akuma, part human. An abomination.

"Tokusa!" Allen shouted in horror.

So the Third had a name. Lavi wondered if it were one Allen had given him or one he'd been given by whoever created him. Either way, the name would soon be lost to history, these creatures forgotten by the outside world.

"Now all these people are under my control~" Cyril informed Allen with a sing-song tone, motioning at the captive audience with a grandiose sweep of his arm. "Now if you don't want your little friends bent in unusual positions, you'll do what I say~. Though I wouldn't mind having a little fun~" he added with a smirk.

Lavi noticed the enjoyment of the situation in Cyril's voice. Definitely a sadist. Lavi had known Cyril for a very long time but until now, he'd only seen the Noah as a ridiculous figure who swooned over Rhode at any given moment. He even had a human wife and posed as a political figure. But now, Cyril's true colors shone through. Lavi stared intently, almost curious as to how far he could bend a body with this power of his. Quickly he had disturbed his own creative mind to a point he physically shook his head to rid himself of the thought.

"So you're telling us to just stand by and let you kill us?" Allen frowned, completely disgusted. That was completely out of the question.

Cyril waved the statement off nonchalantly. "No, no, that'd be too boring. Now kindly remove yourself from the Millennium Earl~"

Lavi had wondered when someone would say that or if everyone, save the Earl, had forgotten. The Earl didn't seem particularly concerned with his predicament either. Something else was on his mind.

As the two moved, the Earl took the opportunity to pin Allen to the ground by the neck. "You aren't the 14th's _player_," the Earl stated menacingly. "You _are_ the 14th."

Allen looked shocked. Lavi had figured Allen knew, but his theory about him was wrong. He quickly corrected the record. Glancing around the room, the shocked expressions on the audience indicated no one knew. For some time, the Noah were clueless as well, believing Allen to be some channel for the 14th's power, but now it had become quite clear he was the 14th somehow.

"That's not true!" Allen protested but then his expression shifted suddenly to something more like a Noah. "I wanted to tell you," he said, his voice calm as he reached out to touch the Earl, "that I'd come back." He reached up and grabbed the Earl's collar, pulling himself up to meet the Earl face to face. "To kill you and become the Millennium Earl."

Lavi stared in disbelief. The shift between Allen and the 14th dwelling within him was so extreme it almost seemed like an act. Yet his words and the manner he held himself were quite distinctly Noah, even for being pinned under the hefty weight of the Earl.

So that was his plan. Could he truly steal the power of the Millennium Earl? Was that even possible?

But as soon as the 14th had spoken, Allen returned, fighting against the Noah within. There was no way he'd be a pawn in this little charade. And then he promptly head-butted the Earl square in the face. Wisely stared, somewhat amused by the odd turn of events.

With a glint of light off his sword, using the bizarre situation as a cover, Kanda suddenly shifted, launching a direct attack on the Earl. The maneuver was light with barely any power behind it. Tyki interfered and blocked it quickly and easily, smirking at what he thought was ineptitude on the Exorcist's part.

A sudden shift in his stance and the swordsman was off again. His movements were quick and unpredictable. Before he knew it, Lavi had Kanda right in his face. The redhead reached for his hammer almost instinctively to defend himself. After learning about the Order's plans, he resolved to defend himself and not always play the victim. Lavi was still rather inexperienced in battle, relying on training he'd learned briefly during his records. Kanda, on the other hand, had years of experience and the blood thirst of a starved coyote.

Kanda continued to run towards the door, though as he passed Lavi, he wrapped his arm around the redhead's waist before he had a chance to react. The swordsman paused, then turned around, drawing a blade to Lavi's arm and driving it in.

Allen also took advantage of the situation and flipped Cyril off the box, taking the wounded Tokusa in his arms. He would rescue the Third at all costs. Yet the Exorcist paused when he'd seen the stance Kanda took near the doorway. "What are you doing, Kanda?" Allen shouted at him. "There isn't any need for extra bloodshed."

"Stupid Beansprout! I'm taking a hostage," Kanda replied flatly. "This is our ticket out of here."


End file.
